178 Mr. W. Eagle Clarke on the 



dition at Saddle I. on February 4th, 1903. It was not found 

 to be an abundant species at Laurie I., where only some two 

 or three hundred spent the summer, nesting in small scattered 

 colonies of about a dozen pairs, and also in isolated pairs. 



In the spring of 1903 the first Terns of the season were 

 observed on October 21st, but it was thought that some had 

 been heard two or three days before. The bird had been absent 

 from the island since the 25th of March of the previous 

 autumn. 



The nests were mere hollows, lined with a few small frag- 

 ments of stone, on the tops of small rocks, or on raised 

 beaches and small screes, and were always quite close to the 

 shore. The nests in the colonies were placed fairly close 

 together, and often in proximity to those of Larus 

 duminicanus. When not surprised on their nests, these 

 birds usually betrayed the whereabouts of their treasures by 

 hovering over them and screeching loudly. 



The eggs were one or two in number. The first were found 

 on November 14th, and from that date onwards they were 

 observed until January 15th. In 1904 Mr. Mossman records 

 the first eggs observed on November 27th. 



The earliest chicks were obtained on December 25th, and by 

 February 7th young were noted as having lost all their down. 



A few adult specimens and a chick are included in the 

 collections ; also a number of eggs, averaging 4'73 cm. 

 X 334 cm. 



This species is also a summer visitor to the South Shetlands. 

 But according to Reichenow the South Georgian bird is a 

 subspecies of Sterna vittata, which he has named Sterna vittata 

 georgice (Orn. Monatsber. xii. p. 47) ; while the same authority 

 has described (/. c.) the Tern of the Antarctic continent as a 

 race of the Arctic Tern, Sterna macrura antistropha. 



Larus dominicanus Licht. 



Larus dominicanus Cat. B. xxv. p. 245. 



This Black-backed Gull has a remarkably wide latitudinal 

 distribution, ranging as it does from 10° S. in the South 

 Atlantic to within a few degrees of the Antarctic Circle. 



It was not a very abundant species at the South Orkneys, 



