98 The Oologisis' Record, December i, 1921. 



Teal, Xeftion crecca (L.), and Gadwall, CJuiiilelasmiis sf repents (L.). 

 The Garganey, Querqitedula circia (L.), is said to nest also, although 

 we never found a nest, and on the Swedish side the Common Eider, 

 Somateria nwUssima (L.), and Red-breasted Merganser, Merganser 

 serrator (L.), are to be found. We only once saw the Sheld-duck, 

 Tadorna corntda (Gm.) — a pair flying low over the coast near 

 Esjberg. No doubt they bred there. 



The Corncrake, or Land Rail, Crex pratensis, Bechst., was a 

 common bird, and we were fortunate enough to stumble upon a 

 nest and four eggs of the Spotted Crake, Porzana mariietta (Leach). 

 It was in a very wet locality, and similar to tliat of the Corncrake, 

 but slightly smaller, and with a lengthy " run " to it. The female 

 sat tight, and, on being flushed, flew away without demonstration. 

 The Water Rail, Ralliis aquaticus, L., owing to its skulking habits, 

 was perhaps o\-erlooked. 



At the mouth of the Skjernaa, which flows into Ringkjobing 

 Fjord, are numerous small islets with colonies of Terns. The 

 Common Tern, Sterna hiriindo, L., and Arctic Tern, Sterna macriira, 

 Xaum., were the most abundant, but on the Government Reserva- 

 tions there are also numbers of Sandwich Terns, Sterna cantiaca, 

 Gm., and a few colonies of the rarer Gull-billed Tern, Gelochelidon 

 anglica, Mont., the onty colonies in North Europe, whilst along the 

 coast the Lesser Tern, Sterna minnta, L., breeds. 



On the deltas, as before mentioned, are numerous swamps, and 

 in such places the Black Tern, Hydrochelidon nigra (L.), breeds in 

 small colonies. The nests are extremely difficult to reach, owing 

 not so much to the depth of water as to the dangerous and uncertain 

 nature of the ground below, which rocks up and down in a most 

 alarming manner as one gingerly wades about. The nests are 

 curious little shallow piles of aquatic vegetation, no larger than the 

 rim of a breakfast cup, and raised only a quarter of an inch or so 

 above water-le\el ; they are not moored to the standing reeds, but 

 are fastened from below to the weeds. Owing to the masses of 

 floating herbage which abound, they are somewhat difficult to 

 detect, but by watching the habits of the parents, which are \-ery 

 ^■ociferous and make sundry swoops at one's head, one can generally 

 tell wiien one is near a nest. The usual clutch of eggs appeared to 

 be three, and some specimens are most handsomely marked. We 

 were charmed ^\ith the buoyant flight and exceedingly graceful 

 movement of this beautiful Tern. The manner in which thev hawked 



