288 LARIDyE. 



scientific party on the 4th of June, and two of their nests contain- 

 ing eggs discovered. 



Another inland breeding-haunt is at Lake Clay (south), near 

 Killileagh, county of Down, where about twenty were seen, and two 

 shot on the 16th of July^ 1845. Their nests are placed on rocky, 

 stony, and grassy islets. At one period they were in great numbers 

 here, and even in 1843 so many had nests on the chief islet that 

 it could hardly be walked over without their eggs being broken. 

 Half-a-dozen nests were found on the present occasion, but all 

 empty except two that contained young. The old terns pursued 

 and darted down at all birds, including even herons and herring- 

 gulls, that flew over any part of the lake ; and these comparatively 

 huge birds were evidently annoyed at the assaults of the terns, and 

 kept shifting their position to avoid them."^ 



I have seen specimens of the S. hinindo from a lake in the 

 county of Mouaghan, and have been told that both it and the 

 Larus rkl'ibundus breed numerously (or at least did some years 

 ago) on islands in Lough Egish. The breeding-haunts of this 

 gull seem equally suited to the Sterna hirundo. The tern lately 

 bred also at Chantanee and Shircock Lakes, in that county. t It 

 frequents the river Shannon in summer, whither it is believed to be 

 attracted by the salmon-fry. The first day on wliich its appear- 

 ance there was noted in one year was the 21st of May. J During 

 a tour made to the west and south of Leland, by Mr. R. Ball and 

 myself, at the end of June and beginning of July 18-34, a tern of 

 the common species came within a few yards of us at Lough Carra. 

 A few terns, most probably S. hirundo, but not near enough for 

 their species to be distinguished, were seen on Lough Corrib, on 

 some of the islands of which our boatmen stated that they breed, 

 and where I am assured they do until the present period (1850). 



The marine and fresh-water localities, named as breecling-haunts 

 of the common tern, must be considered only as an indication of 

 those resorted to by the bird, and such as are positively known 

 to my correspondents or myself. They must.be greatly more nu- 

 merous around the coast, and throughout the fresh-water lakes of 



* Mr. Darragh. f Mr. Robt. S. Evatt, 1845. + Rev. Th. Knox, 



