VOL. VII.] ROSEATE TERN IN IRELAND. 187 



inclination was to put the bird down, there and then, as 

 a Roseate Tern, I was not quite satisfied that the beak 

 was black, owing to the poor Kght due to an overcast 

 sky. In a short time, when the clouds had Hfted and 

 the sun shone out I returned to the spot. The bird 

 was again flying about, uttering its harsh " crake." 

 Lying down on the ground, I waited for it to come within 

 close range of the glasses. In a few minutes I was 

 rewarded with a clear view of the bird as it flew past, 

 and was able to satisfy myself that the beak was quite 

 black except for a small portion at the base, which was 

 orange-red. I now noticed distinct white hues extending 

 down the primaries while the wings were expanded. 

 During the whole time the tern was in the air it kept 

 watching me very closely, and a peculiar twisting move- 

 ment of the head attracted my attention. In about ten 

 minutes the tern alighted on the ground within a few 

 yards, when I saw that the tail-feathers extended well 

 beyond the tips of the wings. I w^as perfectly satisfied 

 now that this was a Roseate Tern, notwithstanding 

 the fact that the rose-pink of the breast appeared 

 to be absent. While watching this Tern I distinctly 

 heard two others uttering a similar harsh " crake " as 

 they flew around. 



Soon after alighting, the Tern ran a short distance 

 and was lost sight of. Creeping up quietly I had the 

 pleasure of seeing it rise off an egg. On comparing this 

 egg with those of the Common and Arctic Terns, I found 

 it was of the distinct elongated type ascribed to the 

 Roseate Tern, but remarked nothing pecuHar as regards 

 the colouring. 



Two days after the discovery another visit was paid 

 to the colony. I was now surprised to find a considerable 

 number of Roseate Terns. After going over the ground 

 carefully I came to the conclusion that there were about 

 eighty Roseates in the colony, the great majority of them 

 displaying the rose-pink on the under-parts. One bird 

 exhibited a much larger portion of orange-red on its 



