Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 3 (1899).djvu/107

Rh four eggs in quite a respectable nest, as good as these birds usually make on land. On neither of these two latter occasions was there any attempt to cover the eggs.— (Beaulieu, Hants).

A Habit of the Roseate Tern.—I think it is not generally known amongst students of birds that it is alleged (and I have great faith in the allegation) that the Roseate Tern (Sterna dougalli) robs the commoner and allied species with which it associates, of its food, after the manner of the Skuas. Some time ago I asked a friend, although not a professed ornithologist, but who had lived near a colony of Roseate Terns for two or three summers, and had constant opportunities of observing the birds, to give me a few particulars of the habits of this species, and he told me as a positive fact that he had seen the Roseate Tern rob the other Terns of their food, "not once or twice, but hundreds of times," generally whilst on the wing; but he has also seen them take food from the young of the Arctic Tern, with which their parents had just provided them. In fact my correspondent says:—"They fly a great deal swifter than the Common or Arctic Tern. They very seldom fish for themselves; if they see a Common or Arctic Tern with a fish in their bills, they pounce upon it just the same as a Hawk will upon a small bird, and take the fish clean out of their bills; they are very quick. I have even seen them take a fish out of a young Tern's bill that has been in the nest. I can tell a Roseate Tern amongst a thousand Common Terns. When they are flying they seem to be longer in the body and longer in the wings than any other Tern, and they have a very hoarse cry, quite different to any other Tern's. I have never seen three Roseate Tern's eggs in one nest, nor even heard of their laying three eggs." I visited the locality last season, but the majority of the birds had not commenced to lay their eggs, being unusually late in that respect. I did not actually see any Roseate Tern take food from the commoner species, although I watched several of the birds circling and wheeling about for minutes together. This may be accounted for by the fact that they were not busy with nesting operations, and that this robbery is practised much more when the eggs are hatched, even if they do not then obtain all their food in that manner. Whilst in the district I made all enquiries I could respecting this alleged habit of the Roseates, and could get nothing but corroboration, sometimes even without seeking it. One of the local names for this bird is the "Rosette" Tern, probably only a corruption or a misunderstanding of the word "Roseate," and sometimes it is called the "Rosy" Tern; but another local name used more among the natives who know the species is the "pirate" bird, from its habit of robbing the other Sea-swallows. One man with whom I am acquainted, and who has lived near this habitat of the Roseate Terns for eight years, told me he was certain he had seen these birds snatch food from the other Terns very