THE BIRDS OF CUMBERLAND. 167 



In this locality, where the Sandwich Terns breed 

 among the sandhills, the nest is a slight hollow in 

 the sand, frequently in the centre of a tussock of 

 dry grass, a few large straws being carefully dis- 

 posed around the eggs. The eggs are generally 

 two, but sometimes three and sometimes only one, 

 in number ; some olive, some cream, and others 

 bluish-green in ground-colour, with rich blotches 

 of blackish-brown, especially at the larger end. 

 The young can run with some speed, if alarmed, 

 but prefer to squat perfectly motionless, save for 

 respiration and the blinking of their eyelids. On 

 being handled, a nestling threw up a small fish, 

 which was dubbed a *' herring-fry." 



The time of the arrival of the Sandwich Tern 

 varies considerably. In 1885, the first pair appeared 

 at Ravenglass, on the 6th of April, wind south-east, 

 rain. Durinsf autumn, the Sandwich Tern is of 

 course more widely distributed than in the nesting 

 season, and immature birds had been occasionally 

 shot on the Solway, jjrior to the establishment of 

 the nesting station at Ravenglass. 



The nestlinof is covered with fine lanceolate 

 down, buff, grey, and black filaments being inter- 

 mixed ; the lower parts are white. In the nestling, 

 the bill is dull ochre, tip horn colour, tarsi and toes 

 livid, webs and soles orange, the latter colour being 

 most developed in newly-hatched birds, and be- 

 coming less and less marked in older specimens. 

 The irides are dark hazel. 



Mr. Mitchell remarks {B. of Lancashire, p. 209), 

 that in 1878 Mr. Durnford found a young Sandwich 



