PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 1 99 



Conwion Tern. — These birds arrive later than the Sand- 

 wich and Little Terns. I found them very numerous, and 

 saw hundreds of nests the third week in June. Most con- 

 tained two eggs, about one in five had three eggs, and one 

 nest four. The keeper informed me the eggs in a small pro- 

 portion were fresh, slightly incubated in a great many, and in 

 a few considerably incubated. None were hatched. Many 

 nests were mere scratchings in the sand or moss, but some 

 were substantial structures of dried bents or straws. The 

 birds arrive about the first week in May. 



Roseate Tern. — I saw none of these birds, but the keeper 

 informed me a naturalist a few years before had been over 

 the ground with him and saw eggs he believed to be those of 

 this bird. They were identified by snaring the bird, which 

 was allowed to go, and no doubt the eggs were hatched. 



Terns generally. — The keeper's observations are the in- 

 cubation in the same nest varies considerably, and that the 

 eggs are generally sat as soon as laid, and that two or three 

 days, possibly four days elapsed between the laying of each 

 &gg. In some cases incubation does not take place until all 

 the eggs are deposited. 



Oyster Catcher. — Very numerous. Nesting commences 

 about the middle of May. 



Kittiwake. — On May i8th we saw some of these birds. So 

 soon as the Black-headed Gulls leave they arrive on the sand- 

 dunes in considerable numbers. 



Dotterel. — This ought not to come under a heading for the 

 Birds of Ravenglass, as its nesting place is only to be found 

 at a great elevation, but on my visit in 1900 I was reliably 

 informed that three or four years before three eggs had been 

 found on a mountain near Drigg, but unfortunately these were 

 destroyed by the farmers' children. I could not ascertain that 

 the bird had subsequently been found nesting. I am afraid 

 this is a fast disappearing nesting bird. 



