372 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
times interposed. Often, however, the eggs are laid 
amongst the short grass further inland, and then the 
hollow is found to contain a few pieces of dead 
weeds or dry grass by way of lining. The Arctic 
Terns seem to be very jealous of the appearance of 
any strangers near their breeding station, especially 
if they are of a mischievous or marauding disposi- 
tion, for in the same paper Dr. Saxby gives the 
following account of their attacking a Hooded Crow 
that paid the colony a visit in search of egys or 
99 
young birds:—“ Instantly,” he says, ‘‘the whole 
colony of Terns arose and assailed him so deter- 
minedly that he was glad to make off towards the 
opposite shore, but the Terns followed him up like 
a swarm of bees, even after he had left the island: 
one made a dash at him, and he stooped to avoid the 
blow; another and another followed up the attack so 
rapidly that the Crow, dropping as each one ap- 
proached, gradually descended nearer to the surface 
of the water without being able to rise a single foot. 
Lower and lower he went, until at last the tips of his 
wings dipped into the water, and then his fate was 
decided. The poor fellow cawed and struggled most 
desperately, and made tremendous exertions to rise, 
but this only hastened his end; his feathers became 
saturated, and soon his head dropped beneath the 
surface.” 
The food of the Arctic Tern, like that of the 
Common Tern, consists of fish, which it picks up in 
