408 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



the basket," is from the accomplished pencil of the late James 

 Giles, Esq., R.S.A., and contains a view of the mouth of the 

 Ythan in Aberdeenshire a locality where Mr Angus has been 

 fortunate in procuring many rare and interesting British birds. 



THE AECTIC TERN. 



STERNA ARCTIC A. 

 Stearnal. 



THE Arctic Tern is a much more common bird than the preceding 

 species, frequenting rocky islets in almost all the lochs of the west 

 coast, and also extending to the whole of the western islands, in- 

 cluding the outer group and the rocks beyond. It is extremely 

 numerous in some places there, taking precedence of the other 

 terns in almost every breeding haunt; and is nowhere more abun- 

 dant than in the Sound of Harris, where there are so many islets 

 to afford it a safe encampment. It frequents Borreray, Bernera, 

 Pabbay, Ensay, Killigray, and a number of nameless rocks forming 

 so many stepping-stones from North Uist to Harris; and in the 

 summer months these and the smaller islets which are uninhabited 

 are literally covered with terns and their nests. 



On the western shores of Ross, Inverness, and Argyleshires, 

 there are numerous breeding places for this bird, especially on 

 rocky islands in the sea lochs stretching inland, such as Loch 

 Sunart, Loch Alsh, Loch-na-Nuagh, and Loch Etive. These 

 nurseries are equally numerous off the coast of Mull, and others 

 of the larger islands forming the Inner Hebrides. Having asked 

 Mr Graham as to the comparative numbers of the two commonest 

 terns, I was furnished with a very interesting account of their 

 habits, which may not inappropriately be inserted here : 



"The name of sea swallow is the most applicable to these ocean 

 martlets, not only on account of their long sharp pointed wings 

 and forked tails, but because they are also harbingers of summer 

 to the inhabitants of the coast, as the land swallow is to those of 

 the fields and groves; and so sure as I hear their shrill screams, 

 and see the long-stroked flight of their sharp wings, so sure do I 

 know that the 1 2th of May has come or gone, for their arrival is 

 punctual to a day. I have no doubt that there are, among the 

 clouds of terns which then arrive, representatives of the many 



