EGG-BIRD. 437 



Specimens of the eggs of these three species of 

 Tern, procured at the Kays by George Wilkie, Esq., 

 who kindly furnished the above information to Mr. 

 Hill for the benefit of this work, are now before 

 me. There is scarcely any difference in size, the 

 dimensions being 2 inches by If : the Noddy's, how- 

 ever, is of a more conical form. The ground of 

 all is white ; that of the Noddy has a few blackish 

 specks thinly scattered over it, and at the larger 

 end some irregular splashes of brown. That of 

 the Sandwich Tern is uniformly speckled with dull 

 reddish-purple ; while that .of the Egg-bird is mark- 

 ed with the same hue in fewer but larger spots. 



To the above Laridcs, Mr. Hill adds Sterna ar- 

 gentea (BoNAp.) killed in Kingston Harbour; and 

 Hydrochelidon nigrum (BoiE) and Xema atricilla 

 (BoNAP.) as frequenting the Kays. 



Of two other birds he thus gives me indications : 

 " A curious bird of the family Procellariad<% 9 (the 

 Petrels,) was found in the Rio Grande in Portland 

 after the late storms [in the autumn of 1846.] Hur- 

 ricanes introduce into these islands new birds, and 

 disperse those peculiar to these islands into other 

 localities." The other seems to be of the family 

 Alcada (the Auks). " In the Blue Mountains, 

 high up towards their summits, is a curious burrow- 

 ing bird, which they call the Blue-Mountain Duck. 

 It is described as having webbed feet, and a hooked 

 parrot-bill. This description would indicate a spe- 

 cies of Alca. It inhabits holes in the cliffs, and is 



