NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 83 1 



Eggx. — Clutch, ihree to foui- ; oval or broad oval iu form ; texture 

 of shell somewhat coarse ; surface slightly glossy ; colour, usually 

 stony-gi'oy, but sometimes yellowish-stone, strongly blotched with rich 

 or dark lunber aud dull gi'cy. In some specimens a few of the heavier 

 blotches are cougi-egalcd about the upper quarter, otherwise the mark- 

 ings are fairly distributed. Some of the darker-coloured eggs resemble 

 in shape and coloui- the better known ones of the Silver Gull (Larus 

 nova hollandice). Dimensions in inches of odd examples : (1) 2-1 x 1-45, 

 (2) 2-05 X 1-52. Average of six — 2-05 x 1-47. 



Obstrvatioiis. — The Long-legged or Gull-billed Tern is another species 

 which usually frtquents the rivers and fresh water lakes of the interior. 

 It is found in localities suitable to its habits throughout the Continents 

 of the world. However, it only appears occasionally in certain parts of 

 Australia duinng gi-eat floods. Goidd was of the opinion that the 

 Australian bird (he examined two examples), although closely allied. 

 was different from the northern species, inasmuch as lie thought the 

 fomier possessed a lighter and more silvei-y-coloured back and wings, 

 also a stout-er bill and longer and larger legs. 



I was indebted to Mr. F. R. Godfrey for the eggs of this inland Tern, 

 which I exhibited at a meeting of the Field Natui-aUsts' Club, held 

 January. 1888. They were taken on his station, " Pevensey," about 

 thirteen miles from Hay, New South Wales. I formerly had examples 

 in my collection from " Ulonga," near the same locality, taken dmnng 

 the gi-eat Riverina flood of 1879. 



Mr. Godfrey furnishes the following interesting note : " In November 

 there were large numbers of these birds (Long-legged Terns) seen every 

 day, skimming in hawk-like fashion over the salt-bush plains, generally 

 about twelve or more in company, about ten or twelve feet from the 

 groimd. watching most intently, with head tiu-ncd down, for insects or 

 small reptiles. On discovering one they darted down and carried it 

 up into the air, then dropped it and caught it while falling. The prey 

 they seemed to be in pui'suit of — which was found in the stomach of those 

 shot — consisted of small lizards and centipedes ; one specimen having 

 two lizards, each about three inches long, and three very large centipedes 

 of about the same length, in its stomach. These birds make their 

 nests — which consist of a few bits of dried gra.ss or stems of cane-grass — 

 on a small piece of ground, sunoimcted by water, and generally close to 

 each other ; as many as ten or twelve nests being foimd on a small patch 

 of about six feet in diameter. The eggs are generally tlu-ee or fovir in 

 number." 



Eggs of the Long-legged Tern were collected in the Maiyborough 

 district of Victoria the same season (1887) that Mr. Godfrey took his 

 in Riverina. 



Jlr. North quotes the following from the MS. of the late Mr. K. H. 

 Bennett: — "On two occasions (1870 and 1872) I have known the 

 S. anglicn to breed in the Ivanhoe district. In both instances the sites 

 chosen were similar, viz., a sandy bank, rising two or three feet above the 

 surroimding plain, and thickly covered with dwarf salt-btish. These 

 breeding places were about forty miles apart, in one case close to a wide 



