314 LAEID^. 



Colonel Butler writes *:— " At Kurrachee, on the 6th May, 1877, 

 I noticed several of these Terns flying backwards and forwards 

 over the Maidan between the Camp and Clifton. As they had 

 only just arrived, and as they appeared much devoted to the 

 spot and bent on matrimonial pursuits, I got out my trap and 

 commenced a search for eggs. The soil was slightly damp from the 

 effect of tidal inundations, with here and there patches of hard dry 

 incrustated ground, covered with saline efflorescence, and on these 

 patches the nests were situated. I also found nests on the same 

 maidan, on ground cut up by Artillery gun-carriages, the eggs 

 being deposited in the wheel-ruts and in the horses' footprints. 



" None of the nests I examined contained more than two eggs, 

 which seems to be contrary to Mr. Hume's experience ; and I may 

 also observe that the birds in this neighbourhood feed exclusively 

 in salt water, being common all over the harbour and in the salt- 

 marshes adjoining. In one instance the eggs were deposited in 

 the centre of a small heap of stones lying out on the open maidan. 



" The dates upon which the nests were found are given below : — 



" May 6th. 3 nests each containing 2 fresh eggs. 



„ 1 fresh egg. 



„ 1 slightly incubated egg. 



„ 2 fresh eggs. 



„ 1 fresh egg. 



„ 2 fresh eggs. 



I! 2 „ 



1 fresh egg. 

 „ 2 slightly incubated eggs. 



June 4th. 2 nests „ 2 fresh eggs. 



„ 2 slightly incubated eggs. 



„ 2 incubated eggs. 



„ 1 fresh egg. 



,, 1 chick about a week old. 



„ 1 slightly incubated egg. 



„ 1 chick about a week old 



[and a stale egg." 



He subsequently added : — " These birds bred again plentifully 

 on the same ground, at the same season, the following year." 



The eggs found by Colonel Butler are uniform in tint ; a very 

 pale drab or clay-brown, or slightly yellowish or greenish stone- 

 colour. The primary markings are moderately dark umber-brown 

 (the exact shade, however, varies), mere specks and tiny spots as a 

 rule, thinly scattered about the egg, with here and there just a 

 few rather larger irregular-shaped smears and blotches, or rarely 

 little lines of the same colour. The secondary markings are quite 



* The birds, the eggs of which Colonel Butler found at Kurrachee, belong to 

 <S. saundersi, Hume. — Ed. 



