1 92 1.] Birds of Nurth-East Chihli. 33 



a depression in saiid-l)anks in the vicinity of water (rivers 

 or sea). I have eggs dated 29th May, 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 

 8th June, end of June, and July, taken on the Slianhaikuan 

 River and down the coast. The eggs are huff", greenisli-buff, 

 and pale yellowish-green, spotted with brown or reddish and 

 purplish-grey, the latter in different shades and botli on the 

 surface and witliin the shell. The spots are generally small 

 and sometimes are partly concentrated in a rough zone. 

 The general shape is ovate or oval-ovate. Thirty-two eggs 

 average 1*29 x 0'96 in. The longest measures r37 x 0"9G in., 

 the shortest l'19x 0-92 in., the broadest 1-28 x 0-98 in., 

 and the narrowest diameter (three eggs) is 0'91 in. 



This Tern remains somewhat late, and may be seen fishing 

 in the marshes until about the middle of October. 



I saw flocks of this Tern flying over the plain near 

 Newchwang in May and June, and also on the River Liao 

 on thp 11th of August, 1889. 



2G0. Phalacrocorax carbo (L.). 



Phalacrocorax curbo D. & O. p. 532 ; La T. p. 582. 



Cormorants pass in spring from the end of March to 

 the end of April, and are not uncommonly seen during 

 the autumn passage. One observed sitting on the rocks 

 on the 11th of August, 1912, appeared from its size to 

 be P. pelagicus. 



261. Fregata ariel (Gould). 



Attagen minor D. & O. p. 534. 



I saw on the 19th of August, 1915, circling over the 

 clifl^s and harbour at Chiuwangtao, a large bird which must 

 have been a Lesser Frigate-bird, On the 5th of October 

 following, a friend saw circling over the harbour a large 

 black bird with deeply forked tail, which was doubtless 

 another example of this bird. The Smaller Frigate-bird 

 occurs in summer on the coast of south-east China and 

 has been seen or taken on the Lower Yangtse and at 

 Shaweishan, but until 1915 it had not been noticed so far 

 north on the China coast. 



SER. XI. VOL. III. D 



