PRELIMINARY CLASSIFIED NOTES 71 



4. Nest and Eggs. The breeding-place is generally only a hollow in the 

 sand or among the shingle on the beach. In the latter position the eggs are very 

 difficult to see, though easily found on sand. In many cases the hollow is lined 

 with fragments of cockle-shells or pebbles. (PL XLm.) The eggs are 2 or 3 in 

 number, much smaller than those of our other British breeding terns. The ground- 

 colour varies from light stone to ochreous, suffused with brown, blotched and 

 spotted with dark brown, which in some cases seems to have " run," and ashy 

 grey underlying blotches. (PI. H.) Average size of 123 eggs, 1*25 x -92 in. 

 [31-8x23-5 mm.]. According to Naumann both sexes incubate, but chiefly the 

 hen ; while in fine weather the eggs are left uncovered for long periods. He also 

 gives the incubation period as 14-15 days, but this is probably incorrect, as 

 Mr. T. Hepburn's and Mr. Oxley Grabham's observations tend to fix the period 

 at from 17-20 days (Zoologist, 1904, p. 173 ; British Birds, ii. 319), and Naumann's 

 estimates in the case of the other terns are also much under the mark. The 

 breeding season begins in England about the last week of May or early in June, 

 but occasionally eggs may be found as early as May 17, and only a single brood is 

 reared during the season. [F. c. B. j.] 



5. Food. Chiefly small fish and crustaceans. Dr. Patten states that he has 

 " seen little- terns, especially immature birds, foraging with turnstones under 

 rotting seaweed for sand-hoppers" (Aquatic Birds, p. 398). Aquatic insects and their 

 larvae (Naumann, Vogel Mitteleuropas, xi. 124). The young are fed by both sexes 

 on small fish. At Spurn Point they were found to be fed " largely on very small 

 plaice about the size of a penny, sand-eels, sprats, etc." (0. Grabham, British 

 Birds, ii. 320). [F. B. K.] 



The following species and subspecies are described in the supplementary chapter 

 on " Rare Birds " .- 



Whitewinged black-tern, Hydrochelidon leucoptera (Temminck). 

 Whiskered-tern, Hydrochelidon leucopareia (Temminck). {Hydrochelidon 



hybrida (Pallas).] 



Gullbilled-tern, Oelochelidon nilotica (Gmelin). [Sterna anglica Montagu.] 

 Caspian-tern, Sterna caspia Pallas. 

 Sooty-tern, Sterna fuliginosa Gmelin. 

 [Lesser sooty-tern, Sterna ancestheta Scopoli]. 

 [Noddy, Anous stolidus (Linnaeus)]. 



