Mr. H. Durnford on North-Fi'isian Ornithology. 401 



on the sea-beach and marsh ; common on Amrum and the 

 mainland. We reckoned about three hundred pairs of Arctic 

 and Common Terns nesting on the first-named island. 



Sterna cantiaca. 



We found no nests ; but the pastor of St. Clement^s church 

 on Amrum, who is a bit of a collector, had several eggs taken 

 on the island, and among them some of this species. We saw 

 three birds on the west coast of Sylt. It probably breeds 

 occasionally on the islands. The eggs the pastor had were 

 taken some years ago at the north end of Amrum, where there 

 is capital nesting-ground ; but there were no birds when we 

 were there. 



Sterna caspia. 



On the 3rd. June we walked from List, the most northern 

 village on Sylt, to the nesting-place of this species on the 

 north-west coast of the island, halfway between the two light- 

 houses. There were two small colonies, some hundred and 

 fifty yards apart, one consisting of about ten and the other 

 of about fifteen pairs of birds. They lay their eggs on the 

 bare sand, between the beach and the dunes, in a slight hollow 

 about the size of an Oyster-catcher^s nest, occasionally lining 

 it with a few pieces of shell. No nest (and we saw about a 

 dozen) contained more than two eggs, which is not to be won- 

 dered at, as they are robbed by boys from List on every pos- 

 sible occasion. There were about ten eggs on the gi-ound, 

 two nests with two each, others containing a single egg apiece, 

 and a few empty. We were accompanied by the lighthouse- 

 keepei', who protects the nests as well as he can for the farmer. 

 The latter has learnt the value of the eggs, and offered us a 

 few he had in a box for sale ; but we could not prevail on him 

 to let us take any for ourselves. We obtained, however, some 

 from the boys, which had been taken on the sly. The birds 

 had not all laid when we were there ; but the farmer told us 

 the colonies were much diminished of late years. We did not 

 see this species elsewhere. 



The Caspian Tern is an extremely handsome bird, its bright 

 red bill, when circling over one's head, contrasting well with 



SER. III. VOL. IV. 2 F 



