LARIDJ3. 277 



sea-beach, or upon the bare rock. The eggs, in size equal 

 to those of a domestic fowl, and of a yellowish- white marked 

 with grey, brown, and yellowish spots, have been brought 

 from the island of Sylt, on the coast of Denmark, but we 

 have seen no other locality named as a breeding- station. 



THE SANDWICH TERN. Sterna Cantiaca. This species 

 is represented as being widely distributed out of Britain. 

 In the British Islands, it is reported to breed on Romney 

 Marsh, in the mouth of the Blackwater, in Essex, on the 

 Isle of May, and some lesser rocks off North Berwick, and 

 on the Coquet and Fern Islands off the coast of Northumber- 

 land : on the latter abundantly. In these latter islands, so 

 close are the nests together, in some instances, as to render 

 it difficult to pass among them without breaking the eggs 

 or injuring the young. The eggs are seldom laid before 

 June, and are then deposited either upon the grass as it 

 grows, or upon a small quantity gathered for the purpose : 

 they are generally two, and never more than three in num- 

 ber, and are very beautiful and varied in their appearance, 

 the ground-colour being whitish or yellowish, pencilled, 

 spotted, and broadly shaded with various tints of grey, 

 brown, and blackish-brown. 



THE ROSEATE TERN. Sterna Dougallii. This graceful 



