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and no nest is constructed, the eggs, two or three in number, being placed in a slight depression 

 in the sand or sandy soil. It is said also to breed sometimes in rocky places, laying its eggs on 

 the bare rock. The eggs, which are usually deposited in June, are three in number, and are 

 subject to considerable variation in coloration and markings. Those in my collection vary in 

 ground-colour from white to stone-buff, and are marked with purplish or pale brownish grey 

 underlying shell-markings and blackish brown surface-spots, some being much more marked 

 than others. One has merely a wreath of blotches round the larger end ; but most are somewhat 

 boldly marked, and some have peculiar hieroglyphic streaks on them, as if drawn with a pen. 

 In size they vary from 2 inches by 1-yf inch to 2^% by l^f and 2^- by l^y inch ; and I observe 

 that in all the shell is rather thin and fragile. The young are hatched in about three weeks 

 after incubation commences ; and as soon as they are able to fly they accompany their parents to 

 the coast ; but some time elapses ere they are able to get their own living. 



Although, as above stated, the Sandwich Tern is almost always found breeding on the sea- 

 coast, yet there are instances of colonies nesting by fresh water away from the sea; and an 

 interesting account of one of these colonies is given by Mr. Warren, who writes (Zool. 1877, 

 p. 101) as follows: — "Few people would expect to find the Sandwich Tern nesting on a little 

 moorland lough some miles from the sea, and totally unconnected with it; yet such was the 

 locality selected by the Sandwich Terns frequenting Killala Bay and the estuary of the river 

 Moy. On the 7th of April, 1851, near the island of Bartragh, I first became acquainted with 

 this beautiful Tern. Having previously resided in the south of Ireland, it was quite unknown to 

 me ; and when the attention of my brother and myself was first attracted by its very peculiar cry 

 (which if once heard can never be mistaken or forgotten) we were very much puzzled, as for 

 a long time we could not make out what bird it was uttered by, or from what direction it 

 proceeded. The sound appeared to come from all points of the compass ; yet no birds appeared 

 in sight: after some time we chanced to look upwards, and were only just able to perceive some 

 birds wheeling about and soaring at an immense height, and all the while screaming loudly. 

 This wild flight and strange cry, so unlike that of any other bird we knew, induced us to watch 

 them closely ; and after some time they gradually lowered their flight to the water, and we then 

 saw they were some species of Tern. We got into our boat and succeeded in shooting a couple, 

 and found they were the Sandwich Tern. This peculiar habit of soaring to a great height 

 (almost out of sight) and wheeling about in wide circles, occasionally chasing each other and 

 screaming loudly, is more often to be witnessed early in the season, before they begin to sit, 

 although occasionally in autumn a pair may be seen acting in a similar manner, but almost 

 invariably on fine bright days. As these Terns remained feeding about the bay and estuary, we 

 were most anxious to find their breeding-ground, but, although we made many inquiries and 

 searches, we were unable to discover it. About the time we supposed the females were hatching, 

 the male birds were daily seen flying inland towards Lough Conn, with sand-eels in their bills to 

 feed their mates. Lough Conn, however, was visited twice without our seeing any trace of the 

 Sandwich Terns, the only members of the Laridce met with being Black-headed Gulls and 

 common Terns. Our search for the breeding-haunts having thus failed, I gave it up for a time; 

 but in May 1857 I was told of a small lough upon which a number of small Gulls breed, and 

 which is situated near the residence of the late Mr. Gardiner, of Cloona, two miles from the 



