NOTES AND QUERIES. 307 



which were duly hatched. [Probably laid by two birds.— Ed.] He broke 

 an egg in our presence ; the horny tip of the bill of the young bird, by 

 which the egg-shell is usually broken, was very apparent. The young bird 

 was wet and very draggled, but appeared lively, and the keeper said that in 

 a few hours it would recover itself and be in a fluffy condition, aud he 

 showed us one in that state. The Swans often fight, the combats some- 

 times terminating fatally. We saw one nailed by the head to the keeper's 

 shed, which had been killed that morning in a fight, its neck having been 

 broken by its adversary. More frequently, however, their wings get 

 broken, and then the keeper is obliged to despatch them. On a separate 

 pool we saw the king and queen Swan, which breed there by themselves, not 

 allowing any others to approach. On the shore, round the main piece of 

 water, there was a flock of Dunlin (Tringa variabilis), and Ringed Plover 

 (Charadrius hlatlcula), with one Little Stint (Tringa minuta). Over the 

 water were flying Common Terns (Sterna hirundo), and among them a few 

 Lesser Terns (Sterna minuta) ; as well as Common Gulls (Larus canus), and 

 some Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus). On the sand, by the water's edge 

 (which, by the way, is brackish), was a Turnstone (Strepsilas interpres), in 

 splendid plumage, and a Common Cormoraut (Phalacrocorax carlo) was seen 

 flying just over the surface of the water. At the back of the swannery is a 

 decoy in which a Pintail Duck (Anas acuta) was caught a few years ago, 

 aud which we saw swimming about with Mallards. The Pintail Duck, 

 which is a hen, has since been provided with a mate. The wild duck are 

 decoyed by means of tame birds, which are fed at the entrance of the 

 tunnels, enticing wild birds to them, when both are driven up the tunnels 

 and secured at the end, the wild birds being then killed. About 200 are 

 caught in this way in a season. The keeper said that the Ringed Plover 

 breeds sparingly, and the Terns plentifully, on the Chesil Beach, above 

 referred to. The swannery is open to visitors all the year, excepting when 

 the decoys are at work, aud is well worth seeing, and no ornithologist, being 

 in the neighbourhood, should miss visitiug it. A week later we visited the 

 Chesil Beach in search of eggs. After walking half-a-mile or so, we found 

 a nest of the Common Tern, containing three eggs of the usual type. This 

 nest, in common with scores of others found later on, was placed in a slight 

 hollow in the shingle. Only in a few cases were the eggs placed on the 

 bare grouud, all the rest having, some in larger quantities than others, the 

 dried stems and roots of the bladder campion (Silene inflata), surrounding 

 them. The above plant was very numerous, almost covering the beach in 

 some places. x\s we advanced the Terns rose in hundreds, if not in thousands, 

 before us, flying over and around our heads, uttering their shrill screams, 

 while the Ringed Plover, hovering low over the ground, whistled their 

 shrill note. Notwithstanding the great number of Lesser Terns seen, we 

 were unable to find their eggs, although, during our walk, we came across 



