LAKID.E — THE GULLS AND TERNS — STERNA. 



301 



Till' Messrs. Godman found the Arctic Tern breeding along the whole of the 

 iiuithwest coast of Norway. In Iceland, according to Professor Newton, it has many 

 luccding-places in various parts of that island. According to Faber, it arrives there 

 all' Hit tlie middle of May, and departs about tlie end of August; although generally 

 a ti'\s' young ones remain a month longer on tlie southern coast. Professor Newton 

 also states (" Ibis," ISG")) that the Arctic Tern is common in Spitzbergen, breeding 

 as far north as latitude 80^, where Dr. Malmgren found it in countless numbers 

 in .Tuly. It was not abundant in Ice .Sound, but it was quite common among the 

 Thousand Islands, where its eggs are much sought after by the walrus-huTiters who 

 resort thither. Martin mentions tlie excellence of these eggs as food ; and since his 

 time visitors to Spitzbergen have not failed to appreciate this fact. Dr. Malm- 

 gren first observed tliis bird on the 10th of June in Treurenberg Bay, feeding princi- 

 pally on surface-swimmers, as crustaceans, mollusks, and the like. Messrs. Evans 

 and Hturge mention meeting witli a few Arctic Terns in Western Spitzbergen late 

 in June ; but the birds did not appear to be breeding, nor were any eggs of this 

 s])ecies seen. 



According to Middendorff, tliis species occurs in the tundras of the nortliern por- 

 tinns of Siberia. Mr. G. Gillett found it numerous both on the western and on tlie 

 eastern coasts of Nova Zemlda ; and Von Heuglin also observed it along tlie same 

 coast in small flocks. 



Mr. Wlieelwright speaks of this species as being the commonest of the Terns in 

 the heart of Lapland; and this is the only species of Tern mentioned by Somnier- 

 feMt in his list of the birds of Vardo, near the North Cape, who did not find it on 

 till' west or northwest coast of Scandinavia. 



]>r. Walker found it on the coast of Greenland, near Godthaab; and it is also given 

 hy Professor Keinliardt as being a resident species of that island. Mr. Bernard Ross 

 nil t with it on Great Bear Lake ; and Mr. Murray received it from Hudson's Bay, 

 fiDin which region f!aptain Blakiston also procured specimens. 



Mr. Boardman informs me that this species breeds abundantly on the coast of 

 Maine, near Calais ; and it is also said to breed on islands in the fresh-water lakes 

 and ]ionds in the interior both of Maine and New Brunswick. Giraud did not recog- 

 nize it as one of the Terns which breed in and about the sea-^oast of Long Island, 

 ami it probably is not found south of Muskegat. 



Captain Elmes (" Ibis," 18r>0) mentions finding this Tern breeding on a small rock 

 aniiing the Outer Hebrides, called Hysker, although it was at a considerable distance 

 from their feeding-grounds ; and he noticed that none of the nests contained more 

 than two eggs. This was the case at all the other points he visited ; wliile the com- 

 111' ill Tern (.Si. hinnulo), which he states to be also abundant in the Hebrides, usually 

 lays three. 



Yarrell regards this species as being more common than the bird usually known 

 as the common Tern, particularly in high northern latitudes. It is found in large 

 numbers in the Faroes, and is the Tern described by Graha under the name of 

 iS', lirnchyarsft, and said to frequent that group of islands. ^Ir. Dunn states that it 

 is abundant in the summer in the Orkney and Shetland Islands, as well as in the 

 Outer Helirides — where, according to Macgilli\Tay, it is much more common than 

 S. hirundo. Mr. Thompson states that it occurs in large numbers, and is widely 

 distributed through Ireland. 



The several Arctic voyagers have found this species in great abundance at all the 

 Iiiiints which they have visited. It was found breeding on Melville Peninsula, and 

 g'-nerally on the islands and beaches of the Arctic Sea. 



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