BIRDS 419 



tained a single young one and an incubated egg. The last was 

 a nest of two eggs. Thus we see that, of eighteen pairs of 

 Lesser Terns, fourteen had incubated clutches of two eggs, 

 while two pairs had only single eggs, and two pairs had clutches 

 of three eggs. Leaving out of consideration clutches of single 

 eggs, only two clutches in sixteen contained three eggs ; so that 

 about seven-eighths of the birds lay clutches of two eggs, and 

 one-eighth of the number lay three eggs. It may be objected 

 that it is hardly fair to form a conclusion from the birds of one 

 colony; but my experience of the Ravenglass birds in past 

 seasons is precisely similar. If we suppose that all the eggs 

 would be hatched and all the young attain maturity, it is 

 obvious that these birds should increase rapidly ; but owing to 

 various circumstances they only just maintain their footing in 

 these localities. The Ravenglass estuary affords rather more 

 shelter than the shores of Walney ; in both cases the lords of 

 the manor employ keepers to secure these and other breeding 

 sea-birds from molestation. A severe epidemic killed many of the 

 young Lesser Terns at Ravenglass one season ; their eggs, being 

 laid upon the open beach, are exposed to many enemies. Only 

 a few weeks ago I watched with pleasurable interest the 

 courageous attacks which a pair of these diminutive Terns 

 inflicted upon a Rook, which seemed to be bent on mischief; 

 when the robber at last sailed off, he was chased by a pair of 

 Oystercatchers, which worked in concert, first one and then 

 the other striking at the Rook from above. The mention of this 

 recalls the fact that Dr. Heysham catalogues the Lesser Tern 

 as breeding in Cumberland, though without a hint as to any 

 locality. T. C. Heysham informed a friend in 1829 that the 

 Lesser Tern was a scarce visitant to the Solway Firth, but in 

 1832 birds of this species were sent to him from Dub Mill 

 near Allonby, and here a couple of pairs reared their young in 

 safety in 1891. A similar instance of the instinct, which induces 

 this species to resort occasionally to ancient breeding-grounds, is 

 suggested by the fact that in 1890 a pair nested near Skin- 

 bur ness, where there was a colony in Sir W. Jardine's time ; 

 this had been broken up only in 1882 by some strangers, who 

 wantonly killed the breeding-birds. During autumn the 



