-654 THE BIRDS OF LORD HOWE AND NORFOLK ISLANDS, 



rstreaks, pure white eggs, and others witli a deep brownish-red 

 ground spotted with darker markings are quite numerous, while 

 some most remarkable departures from the normal in size and 

 ^hape are found, mostly towards the close of the season. The 

 latter particularly, to my mind, are strongly evidential of the 

 strain caused by the unnaturally large output of individual 

 birds. 



At Norfolk Island the season commences a month or more 

 later than at Lord Howe Island, and continues up to December. 

 The Bird Protection Regulation in force there allows the eggs 

 to be taken without limit from the commencement of the season 

 until the 21st November. On and after that date it is a 

 punishable offence to take any eggs. This is a wise restriction, 

 and its beneficial effects can be seen in the large numbers of 

 birds that breed every year on Nepean Island. Although it is not 

 unusual for a boat-load of 10,000 to 15,000 eggs to be brought in 

 from the Island two or three times a week, there is said to be no 

 apparent diminution in the number of birds breeding there each 

 year. At Lord Howe Island, where there is no restriction, and 

 the birds have practically no rest, the numbers breeding on the 

 main Island are dwindling year by year. Here also, they have 

 another relentless enemy, the hungry semi-wild pig, which will 

 go through the more easily accessible nests and guzzle the eggs, 

 shells and all, and does not stop to inquire whether they are 

 fresh or otherwise. 



The Sooty Tern rarely makes an}'- nest-structure. Very 

 occasionally a few grass-stems may be found arranged round a 

 slight depression, but in the vast majority of instances the egg 

 is laid upon the bare soil or sand, or on the natural grass, which- 

 ever may be the surface of the spot selected for depositing the 

 egg. On the Admiralty Islet which I visited, there are several 

 broad terraces, with tussock-grass growing amongst the loose 

 stones. Here the Sooty Terns were clustered so clos'el}^, each 

 bird sitting on an egg or a chicken, that it was impossible to 

 avoid treading occasionally on the contents of a nest. The loose 

 -clayey soil was hollowed out a little where practicable, otherwise 



