31 S LARID.E. 



and central tail-feathers are white, the former beinj; sparingly spotted and the latter subterniinally 

 margined with dark grey. Tlie wing-measurement of young specimens obtained in Sydney 

 Harbour, nearly equals that of the adult, 13 inches. 



In contrast to Sydney Harbour, in December, 1907,1 was at the entrance to the Tweed 

 River Heads, the northern boundary of New South Wales, where an immense flock of some 

 four or five hundred birds, in full breeding plumage, with glossy black caps, were on tlie wing 

 hovering over the water, uttering their peculiar short sharp cries, and descending now and again 

 to secure some small fish, with which the clear water absolutely teemed, large shoals of smaller 

 fry swimming near the surface, and on which the birds were feeding, the large fish, apparently 

 sea-salmon averaging about two feet long, swimming close together in the deeper water. The 

 presence of these birds was explained by a large breeding colony existing on Cook Island, the 

 latter of which could be seen a few miles away. 



Mr. A. E. Goodman, of the Government Printing Office, Sydney, has kindly sent me the 

 following notes: — "Montague Island, contiguous to the south-eastern coast of New South 

 Wales, is formed of two islands connected by a narrow neck. The Crested Terns and Silver 

 Gulls always nest on the north island, though the lighthouse people told me that in igo8, 

 about the end of No\'ember, they had a great storm and heavy sea, which washed hundreds of 

 the Gull's eggs away. The birds commenced to lay again, but they built their nests on the 

 south island, and it was the first time that they had seen them nest there. The birds generally 

 come to the island about the end of July, though on one occasion they did not arrive tdl about 

 the middle of August, when they all came in a great flock, some time during the night. Ordi- 

 narily the birds come in flocks of twenty or thirty, from the beginning of July till the end of 

 August, and land on the south island, and seem to mate about the beginning of September. 

 They all start together and fly round for an hour or so, and settle on the north island, and 

 commence making their nests, and in about a week's time they start to lay their eggs. The 

 Crested Terns all nest together, in one great colony, on the landward side ; they make no nests, 

 but just lay their eggs in the small depressions in the ground and amongst the rocks, some 

 eggs being hatched during the second week in November." 



Dr. W. Macgillivray wrote from Broken Hill, South-western New South Wales, as 

 follows: — " Sterna bfri;ii is a very conspicuous bird when seen on the wing. It usually flies 

 high in the air, the body seems then to be disproportionate to the length of wing. I met with 

 this species at intervals all the way up the Barrier Reef islands, mostly in pairs. They were 

 very wary, and would not admit of a close approach. I tried to shoot a pair off the high rocky 

 cliffs at the Sir Charles Hardy Islands, but did not succeed. I afterwards saw a Frigate bird 

 harrying this pair as they returned to roost on the cliffs, but with their swift flight they succeeded 

 in evading it. When at Somerset we saw numbers of these birds passing daily through 

 Albany passage and out to the reef, and on our way over to Thursday Island many were seen in 

 the vicinity of Mid or A rock, in Torres Strait. This roclc was visited on the iith November, 

 igio, by Mr. W. McLennan, who found great numbers breeding on it, the eggs being mostly 

 fresh. On the 14th December, 1909, Mr. McLennan, visiting Oyster Cay, near Cairns, found 

 great numbers breeding in company with 5. media, S. faliginosa and A nous stolidus, the eggs being 

 nearly all (juite fresh." 



Mr. C. G. Gibson wrote from Perth, Western Australia : — " The Crested Tern (Sterna 

 hergii) was noted in large numbers on Wooded Island and Pelsart Island, Houtman Abrolhos, 

 during our visit there in November, 1907, but we were evidently too early for eggs." 



From Broome Hill, South-western Australia, Mr. Tom Carter wrote: — "The Crested Tern 

 (Sterna hergii) was not rare, but was only noted nesting near Point Cloates, North-western 

 Australia, on the 26th April, 1900. While sailing past Fraser Island in my cutter on that day, 



