104 



SANDWICH TERN. 



PLATE CCXIII. FIG. I. 



Sterna cantiaca, . . . Montagu. Bewick. 



" " . . . . JeNYNS. GrOTJLD. 



Sterna Boysii, . . . Fleming. Selby. 



These birds live together in large colonies, hundreds, 

 and even thousands of pairs crowding together in the 

 same places, the eggs in consequence being so close 

 together that it is difficult to avoid treading on them. 

 The situation chosen is a sandy place, covered at the 

 most with short and bare vegetation. If the nesting- 

 place is approached, the birds fly about in a cloud. 

 They are late in breeding, seldom commencing till the 

 month of June. 



The eggs are usually two, but sometimes three or 

 even four in number. Meyer says, "The bird sits on 

 them during the whole night, but only occasionally during 

 the day, and as in the preceding species, some few birds 

 remain about the breeding-places, to keep watch during 

 the absence of the rest. It has been asserted that these 

 birds, although laying two or three eggs only for a 

 brood, will, when the eggs are taken out of the nest 

 daily, continue laying for a fortnight." The eggs vary 

 exceedingly, and are extremely beautiful. They are of 

 a pale yellowish stone-colour, thickly spotted and marked 

 with deep reddish brown, orange brown, blackish brown, 

 and grey. Some are of a whitish and others of a dull 

 green ground colour, with spots of a darker shade. 



