JDIRWI. dl' TlIK WILD BIRD IXVESTIGATIOX SOCIETY. 



THE COMMON TERN AND ITS ENEMIES. 

 liv H. C. WILLIAMSON, M.A., D.Sc, 



Mariiw Liibofiitory. Aberdeen . 



A vi^^it t(i ilie nesting-place of the Common | es-fifs are \i-i-\- cunspicuouN, ;in(l it seems likelv 



'I'ern (Slcruii hirundo, I,.) is a ver\- interesi- tiial they help to guide the bird on its leiurn 



iiig e\|)erience. Tile nests, eacii witli iwo or [ and enalde it to recognise iis propert\ . A 



lliree eggs, are tliicld\- scattered o\er ihe \ Tern lias been obser\-ed lo Ikixci- ai some 



region of sand anil lurf. 'I'he egg has a dark height, as if in order to locate the nest. I have 



chocoLaie ground colnur, wiili tlark brown obser\-ed in several instances tlie nest con- 



V\'^. I. — The Coiimioii Teni (Sterna liinindc. I,). 



spills; there is considerable \arialion iii llie 

 coloiiratiim. A |ierfectl\- white egg, which is 

 said to be infertile, is, however, sometimes 

 to be seen. 



I he nest is often mereK' a tlepressioii in the 

 turf, or a little hollow scraped in the sand, 

 tiirnished with a wisp nl dried grass. Ihe 



lain iw(i similarl\- coloured eggs, and a third 

 ot a darker or lighter ground colour. One 

 not unfrequenth' conies upon an cj;g. whole, 

 and ii ma\- be fresh. King awav from an\' 

 nest. it has been suggested thai a sheep 

 might ha\-e dislodged the egg, btii one would 

 expect, in such a ca.se, ih;il it miisi li;i\e 



