294 laridjE. 



found. On the 25th of June, 1830, an oniitliological friend 

 visited some of the islands of Straugford Lough, and shot many 

 arctic and common terns, about four of the former to one of the 

 latter; he did not see any of the roseate species. I was much 

 pleased to hear that the farmer who rents these islands, and on 

 whose invitation my friend visited them, wrote to him that this 

 was " the last week of the terns,^' meaning thereby, that it was 

 the latest period at which they should be killed, in consequence 

 of their just commencing incubation. Two arctic terns shot in 

 this lough, southward of Kirkcubbin, on the Gth of June, 1850, 

 came under my notice. When about Horn Head, county of 

 Donegal, in the last week of June 1832, I saw some terns appa- 

 rently of the arctic species, and the low rocky islands off that 

 coast, between the headland just named and Bloody Foreland 

 Point, appeared, from the mainland, most suitable localities for 

 their breeding — resembling the Skerries off Portrush, and the 

 Farn Islands off the Northumbrian coast.* In Clew Bay, county 

 of Mayo, we, on the 28th of June, 1834, shot one of these birds 

 near Minish Island, and saw several others, both on wing and on 

 little heaps of stones rising above the waters of the bay : they 

 doubtless breed on some of the many islets there. At the Hards 

 islands, Galway coast, arctic and common terns were observed on 

 the 1st of August, 1844.t I was informed by Mr. T. F. Nehgan 

 (in 1837) that the arctic tern is common on the coast of Kerry, 

 in summer; J and on the 7th of July, that year, six fresh speci- 

 mens sent thence to Dublin by my informant, came under my 

 inspection. This is the only species of tern known to Mr. R. 

 Chute on the coast of Kerry, where it breeds on a small island in 

 the Blasket Sound called Beginish ; on the Magharee Islands 



* Sir William Jardine remarks that this species " seems to prefer the shiugly 

 beach to rocks" (' Brit. Birds,' vol. iv. p. 279), but on the latter it has chiefly occurred 

 to me, and seemed more paiiial to them than S. Idrundo. 



t Rev. G. Robinson. 



% In the Appendix to Ross's Second Voyage, it is stated, at p. 33, that the arctic 

 tern "has lately been found abundantly on tiie west coast of Ireland in the winter 

 season." From Capt. Sir James C. Koss, I learned that this information was de- 

 rived from the late Joseph Sabine, Esq. Mr. R. Chute has never known this species 

 to be on the coast of Kerry in winter (1850). 



