18 Proceedings. 



along a short stretch of hedge below the western end of Park 

 Hill ; Orion, taken at sugar in the New Forest the third week 

 in June ; Quadra, reared from larva found feeding on beech- 

 lichens, third week in June. 



Mr. J. B. Crosfield read the following paper, entitled 

 ' Notes on the Breeding of the Lesser Tern,' and exhibited 

 two eggs of that species : — 



I have not collected many specimens during the past 

 summer that would have any special interest to the Club, 

 but I bring for exhibition two specimens of the eggs of the 

 Lesser Tern, which I obtained near Duugeness. In a paper 

 which I read last winter at one of our meetings on the subject 

 of the Kentish Plover, I aUuded to a colony of Lesser Terns 

 which I observed on May 29th, 1880, evidently breeding, 

 although on that occasion I failed to find any of their eggs. 

 On June 14th last, therefore, my brother-in-law and myself 

 went to Eye for the purpose of searching for the eggs of this 

 bird, and becoming, if possible, better acquainted with its 

 habits. A walk of several miles eastward along the shore 

 brought us to the spot, and we soon foimd that the Lesser 

 Terns still frequented the same portion of shingle where we 

 had seen them last year ; and from the persistent way in 

 which they kept over the same place, constantly uttering 

 their cry, a sound resembling the word 'weet' or 'peet' 

 pronounced rather short, it was tolerably clear to us that 

 they had eggs or young, we thought probably the former, 

 and had accordingly timed our visit about a fortnight later 

 than last year, as we concluded we were then too early. 

 There were six or eight pau's of Lesser Terns, and also about 

 three pairs of the Common Tern flying about amongst them. 

 The shingle here was nearly level, being rather further 

 inland than the beach proper, and there was a very thin 

 growth of grass in parts, forming very broad bands or ridges, 

 the intervening space between these bands being bare shingle. 

 After searching up and down these grassy portions most 

 minutely for several hours, all that we discovered was a 

 Common Tern's nest containing one addled egg, and with 

 two young birds close by on the shingle. Failing in this 



