56 BKITISH BIRDS. [vol. xv. 



which v/as sHghtly over five-eighths of an inch horizontally 

 Before I entered the tent I decided to begin the hour's trial 

 on the first arrival of a bird with food, in case my approach 

 might have disturbed one of the return journeys. I took up 

 my position at 12.5 p.m. and had to wait for ten minutes 

 before beginning the test. 



The following are the details of the next hour : — 



12.15, Sand-eel ; 12.20, Sand-eel ; 12.24, Flat-fish ; 

 12.25, Sand-eel ; 12.29, Flat-fish. After this the chick 

 looked very tired and lay in the sun, head to wind sometimes 

 with his bill slightly open. By 12.40 he was again active, 

 running about and looking for his parents. 12.42, Sand-eel ; 

 12.49, Flat-fish ; 12.52, Flat-fish ; i.o. Flat-fish, which was 

 passed through the wire. Then no more food was brought 

 until after the hour had elapsed. By that time the chick 

 was very hungry and at 1.19 welcomed a parent and another 

 flat-fish with enthusiasm. 



Although it is of course impossible to state the average 

 number of meals from a test of this duration, it is none the 

 less worthy of note that in the space of one hour a Little Tern 

 chick, aged less than seven and a half days, received and 

 digested four sand-eels and five flat-fish. 



Then rather regretfully I removed the control and watched 

 the chick run off over the shingle, evidently none the worse 

 for its week's imprisonment. 



