271 



Greece, the largest measures 45 millims. by 31 -5 millims., and the smallest 39 by 30*5 millims., 

 and an abnormal egg from Fyen, taken on the 20th May, 1865, measures 27 by 20 millims." 



For the following interesting note we have to thank Mr. John Henry Gurney, jun., who has 

 so often contributed his observations to these pages : — " As 1 believe there are few, if any, instances 

 on record of Terns being tamed, I shall make no apology for detailing the only one which I have 

 ever known of. Mr. Green, taxidermist, of Stockton-on-Tees, found two nestlings at the mouth 

 of Greatham ' beck,' the parish presided over by the well-known naturalist, Dr. Tristram : they 

 were only a few days old when found. Green had taken what was called Bousfield's fishing- 

 place, and here he reared them up until they were strong enough to fly about and cater for 

 themselves. He fed them chiefly upon pieces of flatfish. But the intimacy did not end here. 

 So attached did they become to him that they would answer to the names which he gave them, 

 or come to his call or whistle ; and when the men were fishing, they were, as the men expressed 

 it, ' among their feet like Wagtails among cows' feet.' Crowds came to see them ; and it was a 

 source of profit to Green, who put an advertisement in the local newspaper. Once in the dry 

 weather his pets were nearly dying of hunger ; but a ' beck ' was dammed up and the water 

 bailed out, and, some trout being got for them, a sort of cistern was formed to which they could 

 come and feed. During the autumn they disappeared for a fortnight, and Green met them five 

 miles down the river. When he called they came into the cobble, and he gave them some pie, 

 and the intimacy which had been interrupted was renewed again, and continued until October 

 came round, when, I believe, they migrated with the rest of their congeners." 



In Dresser's collection is a series of the eggs of this bird from Denmark, Iceland, and 

 Finland ; and amongst these are varieties from pure unspotted pale blue to dark olive, blotched 

 all over with dark brown spots. The most beautiful variety is one collected by Dr. Kriiper in 

 Iceland, which is of a pale clay-colour, marked here and there with large pale purplish shell- 

 markings, and over these a few large brown blotches. 



In size the above eggs average If § by 1^§ inch. Dr. E. Rey writes to us as follows : — " I 

 have taken the eggs of this Tern on the Elbe from the 18th of May to the 20th of June, finding- 

 two, seldom three, eggs in each nest. The average size of thirty-six eggs from Smyrna (where 

 Sterna arctica is not found) is 40 - 6 by 30 - 4, the largest measuring 44 - by 30 - 7, and the smallest 

 38 by 30 millimetres respectively. 



In the preparation of the above article we have examined the following specimens : — 



E Mus. Sharjpe and Dresser. 



a, ?. Cookham, Berks, July 13th, 1870 (J. Ford), b, $. Pagham, Sussex, July 30th, 1870 {R. B. Sharpe)- 

 c. Pagham, September 1870 (R. B. Sharpe). d. Pagham, November 1870 (A. Grant). e. Belgium 

 (W. Schlilter). f, g, h,i. Germany (TV. Schliiter). j. St. Petersburg (Dode). k. Table Bay, S. Africa 

 (E. L. Layard). 



E Mus. Howard Saunders. 



a, 2 • Fame Islands, Northumberland, June 12th, 1864 (H. S.) b, 3 • Mew Islands, Strangford Lough, 

 August 28th, 1866 (H. S.) . c, d, e, f, cj. Tenby, October 1871 (H. S.) . h. Malaga, June 2nd, 1871 

 (H.S.). i. N. America (Krider). j,k. Walvisch Bay, Damaraland (C. J. Andersson) . l,m. Table Bay, 

 South Africa (E. L. Layard) . 



3u 



