258 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. viii. 



made of the following materials on the Point — shells, 

 sea-weeds, sticks, wood-chips, crab-legs, pebbles and 

 wood-shavings. A nice example of the last is depicted 

 in Fig. 9. Only once have I seen one made entirely of 

 pebbles. Finding it without the eggs one would have 

 taken it to be a Little Tern's. 



With the assistance of various friends we took a census 

 of the eggs and nests of the Common Tern in the first 



Fig. 9. COMMON TERN'S NEST OF WOOD-SHAVINGS. 



fortnight of July in 1913 and 1914. We investigated 

 the sizes, mottling, and ground-colour of the eggs, and 

 the types of nest. Of the last we chose three — Type A : 

 No materials, no depression. Type B : A depression 

 without materials. Type C : Materials. 



In 1913 the results were : A, 15. B, 38. C, 120. 

 Abandoned 30. 



We called a clutch abandoned when there were no 

 materials and the eggs were scattered and half-buried. 

 If material had been employed, we added it to type C, 



