9410 Birds. 



eggs of the common tern outside the sand-hills, on the supposition 

 that the birds had shifted their ground in consequence of having been 

 robbed. But since their eggs were also found outside the sand-hills 

 in 1863, I must needs infer that the common tern does not always lay 

 in such sheltered situations as I had supposed. 



Lesser Tern (Provincial, Sea-mouse.) " 1863 — 4. A few birds ; no 

 eggs found." 



The only three nests which I found were all outside of the sand-hills, 

 and I made a memorandum of this at the time, as being worlhy of note. 

 These eggs were found before 11 a.m., and the birds were not then 

 sitting. I regret now that I did not pay more attention to the hours 

 at which the birds were incubating. 



Arctic Tern. — " 1863 — 4. No certain nestings. My friend Mr. A. 

 Cooke doubts either this or the following species (roseate) breeding 

 here : he regards the shooting of a bird in mere proximHy to any nest 

 by no means conclusive as to the parentage of the eggs, and that 

 nothing short of capture upon the nest or eggs can be held con- 

 clusive." 



The plan which I pursued to obtain eggs of this species was as fol- 

 lows. On observing a bird upon the ground, or seeing one alight, I 

 proceeded rapidly towards it in a direct line, and, as soon as it rose, 

 fired at it. Several times, from being in too great a hurry, I missed 

 the bird, but eventually succeeded in killing three. In two instances 

 the birds dropped at some considerable distance from where they rose, 

 but leaving them on the ground, and, without having ^altered my 

 direction or the position I was in at the time the bird rose, I went 

 directly to the spot and found eggs. Pencilling these and putting 

 them in a basket, I went to pick up the birds. These proving to be 

 arctic terns, I fell no hesitation in concluding that the eggs were eggs 

 of that species. I have read somewhere, but cannot at present recol- 

 lect where, that, in the opinion of some naturalists, the guillemot, 

 which breeds in colonies, does not always return to the egg which it 

 left, but, being led by instinct to cover an egg, it settles down upon 

 one, without being particular whether it is its own or not. If this be the 

 case with the terns, it must be quite impossible to distinguish eggs of 

 the common, arctic and roseate species, when placed in proximity. 

 But I do not suppose that this is so ; on the contrary, I am inclined to 

 believe that every bird has the power of distinguishing its own eggs ; 

 and it appears to me not improbable that the reason we find hardly 

 two eggs of the guillemot alike is that Nature has thus ordained it, to 

 enable the birds more readily to distinguish them when laid close 



