ROSEATE TERN. 189 
ROSEATE TERN. 
STERNA DoUGaALII, Mont. 
Pl. XXXIL, fig. 6. 
Geogr. distr.—Europe from the British Isles to the Mediterranean ; 
Ceylon; Andaman Islands; Cape of Good Hope; eastern coast of 
America; Australia. In Great Britain, according to Dresser, it breeds 
in Scotland and Ireland, and occurs rarely on the shores of England. 
Food.—Fish. 
Nest.—A slight depression surrounded by a circle of grass: accord- 
ing to Hewitson the eggs are sometimes ‘deposited upon a small 
quantity of dry grass.” 
Position of nest.—Usually upon small islands near the coast. 
Number of eggs.—2-3. 
Time of nidification.—V. 
It seems doubtful whether this species breeds with any 
regularity in the British Islands. On the Farne Islands, 
where it was formerly abundant, several pairs were seen 
and shot as late as May, 1880. Hewitson, in 1846, men- 
tioned that Mr. J. Hancock found it breeding in numbers 
upon Foulney Island on the Lancashire coast; and Mr. 
Howard Saunders says that in May, 1864 and 1865, Mr. 
Harting and he observed it on the neighbouring Walney 
Island. He adds:—‘‘It probably nests in a few localities 
on the coast of Scotland, but statements regarding its 
breeding on Loch Lomond or any other lochs appear to be 
devoid of foundation. So far as is known the Roseate Tern 
nests almost exclusively on islands, and generally on those 
which are remote and storm-beaten. Off the coast of 
Jreland, where there are many such islets, several breeding 
places have been enumerated by Thompson; but most of 
these have since been abandoned, and although the birds 
have probably migrated to other and less disturbed localities, 
it would not be easy, even if it were desirable, to indicate 
precisely the places where colonies may still be found.”— 
(Yarrell’s Hist. Brit. Birds, vol. ili., p. 545.) 
Mr. Seebohm says ‘“‘ it is doubtful whether the Roseate 
Tern breeds in any part of the British Islands at the 
present time.” 
