37 [Vol. XXXV. 



white underpartS; in which stage the birds sometimes is said 

 to breed. The first name certainly applicable to this bird is 

 Pelecanus minor Gmelin (Syst. Nat. p. 572j 1789). In the 

 'Austral Avian Record,' vol. ii. no. Q, various forms o£ 

 Fregata are described. Many subspecies are easily recognis- 

 able, and these will be fully elaborated in my ' Birds of 

 Australia/ 



Mr. C. E. Peauson exhibited four clutches of the eggs of 

 Hydrochelidon nigra, and made the following remarks : — 

 "^ The eggs were taken on the 28th of May, 1914, on one of 

 the numerous ' etangs ' in the Indre Department of France. 

 The eggs were laid, with only the pretence of a nest com- 

 posed of two or three scraps of dead reed, upon a line of 

 ' drift ' which had been blown by the wind across the lake 

 and held up by a few scattered growing reeds. The site 

 was of the most risky description, as the slightest wind, 

 blowing from the reverse direction, would have scattered 

 the bits of dead stalk and flags and allowed the eggs to fall 

 into the water. Three of the clutches consisted of three 

 eggs and one clutch of four eggs." 



A discussion took place, in which the Rev. F. C. R. 

 JouRDAiN said that it was most exceptional for the Black 

 Tern to lay four eggs in the clutch, and was of opinion 

 that the clutch in question was probably the product of two 

 birds, inasmuch as two of the eggs were identically marked, 

 the third egg somewhat resembled these two, but the fourth 

 egg was of a different type and lacked the distinctive 

 markings of the other three. 



Mr. P. F. BuNYARD said the clutch of four eggs exhibited 

 by Mr. Pearson was obviously the product of two birds. 

 The similarity of the eggs in the clutches of this species is 

 constant, characteristic, and very pronounced in a large 

 series. 



Dr. Hartert remarked that he had taken a number of 

 eggs of the Black Tern in East Prussia, and noted that the 

 nests were always placed on swampy ground, but never 

 drifting. He had never seen a nest on dry ground. 



