OCT. 1906. 
HERRING GULL AND CASPIAN TERN. 
117 
marked than other parts. The colors are placed both on and be- 
neath the surface of the shell. In the latter placement they appear 
not only much dulled but. of a different shade. That they are of 
the same pigment may readily be demonstrated by scraping away 
the shell over these dull spots, when they will be exposed as bright 
and of the same shade as the others. The outlines given in the 
figure represent the exact sizes and shapes of two eggs from the 
above mentioned dozen and show normal variation. 
The Caspian Tern makes a slight hollow in fine gravel or sand, 
which, without any lining, serves for its nest. This varies from 
five to six and a half inches in diameter, by an inch and a quarter 
deep. A most remarkable feature of these nests, and one which 
I believe was present in all, was that each was surrounded by a 
clearly defined belt of small gravel and shells. Goniobasis lives- 
cens Menke. was the prevailing species, interspersed with a few 
Lymncea catasc opium Say. Fig. i of Plate i shows a poorly 
focused Kodak picture of one of these nests. It has suffered a 
further loss of clearness in reproduction. 
