478 
LARIDiE. 
NATAT0RE8. 
LA RID JR. 
SANDWICH TERN. 
Sterna cantiaca. 
PLATE CXXXII. PIGS. II. AND III. 
Nothing can exceed the beauty and variety of the 
eggs of this species. During several visits to the Coquet 
and Fern Islands on the coast of Northumberland, I 
have had the pleasure of selecting a numerous series 
from many hundreds, which lay thickly strewed on all 
sides of us, mixed with those of arctic, common, and 
roseate terns; indeed, so close were the eggs together, 
that in many instances we were obliged carefully to 
pick our steps in order to avoid treading upon them. 
They were either upon the green grass as it grew, or 
upon a small quantity gathered together for the pur¬ 
pose. They are mostly two, and never exceed three 
in number, and the varieties so endless that it would 
be useless to attempt to describe them. The Sandwich 
Tern breeds late, as do most of the sea-birds, and rarely 
commences incubation till the month of June. I have 
always found the first week of that month the best time 
to obtain fresh specimens of the eggs of those sea-fowl 
which breed on the coast of Northumberland. 
