SUMMER HOURS ON BREYDON 131 



depressions here and there. These cover an acre or two 

 perhaps more and are within a stone's throw of the sea, from 

 which they are separated by a ridge of low, hummocky sand- 

 dunes hardly deserving the name of sand-hills. These shut 

 off the highest wave-crests of the sea, which at low water is 

 a good mile away. The usual high-water limit, distinguished 

 by a long thick rim of cockle-shells, numbered by myriads, 

 and empty valves of Solen ensis, which I had but a few 

 moments for inspecting, gave promise of many an hour's 

 remunerative overhauling to any one sufficiently interested. 

 And, mirabile visu ! nest after nest of common terns dotted 

 the inside edge of this ridge of jetsam and flotsam a span or 

 two only from the tide-limit ; the spume of the waves must 

 have blown at times upon them. On asking the keeper what 

 about a higher tide than usual, Tom Cringle suggestively 

 shook his head. On referring to the all too meagre report 

 for 1904 of the Wells Wild Bird Protection Society, I find a 

 suggestion of danger : " There were neither heavy gales nor 

 high tides to harm the nests, and by poisoning the rats early 

 in the season the young birds were saved from their depreda- 

 tions." 



The larger area referred to is a wide-spreading shingly 

 level, interspersed by patches of sparse verdant dune-herb- 

 age. The terns the common {Sterna fluviatilis) and the 

 little (6*. minutd] had much to say by way of protest, and 

 flew screaming around the little " chit-pearl " as vociferous 

 as its larger relative in excited hundreds, like so many 

 whirling snowflakes, keeping up their objection so long as we 

 kept upon the move. The nests in many places were but a 

 yard apart ; a triangular stride would cover three of them. 

 I was struck by the marvellous correspondence in colour of 

 the eggs to their surroundings ; those deposited among the 

 rufous-tinted shingle were of a russet colour. The ground 

 here was almost as smooth as if it had been rolled ; indeed, 

 the levelled stones gave one the impression of a rude attempt 

 at tessellated pavement. Among the blue-grey patches of 

 pebbles the predominating tints of the eggs were greyish, 

 and on the greener portions they most assimilatively assumed 

 that colouration. In some instances, however, conspicuously 

 contrasted eggs quickly caught the eye. Dr. Long pointed 

 out one egg, on a dark ground, of a vivid bluish-green, and 



