BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



times interposed. Often, however, the eggs are laid 

 amongst the short grass further inland, and then the 

 hollow is found to contain a few pieces of dead 

 weeds or dry grass by way of lining. The Arctic 

 Terns seem to he very jealous of the appearance of 

 any strangers near their breeding station, especially 

 if they are of a mischievous or marauding disposi- 

 tion, for in the same paper Dr. Saxby gives the 

 following account of their attacking a Hooded Crow 

 that paid the colony a visit in search of eggs or 

 young birds: "Instantly," he says, "the whole 

 colony of Terns arose and assailed him so deter- 

 minedly that he was glad to make off towards the 

 opposite shore, but the Terns followed him up like 

 a swarm of bees, even after he had left the island : 

 one made a dash at him, and he stooped to avoid the 

 blow ; another and another followed up the attack so 

 rapidly that the Crow, dropping as each one ap- 

 proached, gradually descended nearer to the surface 

 of the water without being able to rise a single foot. 

 Lower and lower he went, until at last the tips of his 

 wings dipped into the water, and then his fate was 

 decided. The poor fellow cawed and struggled most 

 desperately, and made tremendous exertions to rise, 

 but this only hastened his end ; his feathers became 

 saturated, and soon his head dropped beneath the 

 surface." 



The food of the Arctic Tern, like that of the 

 Common Tern, consists of fish, which it picks up in 





