54 6 L E S S E R T E R N. Class IL 



body, white : the upper part, and the coverts of 

 the wings, a fine pale grey : the tail confifts of 

 twelve feathers ; the exterior edges of the three 

 outmoft are grey, the reft white : the exterior, on 

 each fide, is two inches longer than the others : 

 in flying, the bird frequently clofes them together, 

 lb as to make them appear one (lender feather. 



Thefe birds frequent the fea mores, banks of 

 lakes and rivers : they feed on fmaii fifh, and water 

 infecls -, hovering over the water, and fuddenly dart- 

 ing into it, catch up their prey. They breed 

 among fmall tufts of ruihes ; and lay three or four 

 eggs, of a dull olive color, fpotted with black. 

 AH the birds of this genus are very clamorous. 



15 5. Lesser. Lams pifcator (Fifcherlin, La petite Hirondellc de mer. 



Fel.) Gefner a-o. 587. fig. Brijfon av. VI. 206. tab. 



5 38. 19- fig' 2 - 



Aldr. a<v. III. 3$. Larus Minuta. Lin.fyft. 228, 



Leffer Sea Swallow. Wil. orn. Haetting Taerne, Brunnicb, 



353 



IC2. 



RaiYjjn. av. 131. Br. Zool. 144. 



Descri-p; r^HE w r eight is only two ounces five grains: 

 -*- the length eight inches and a half ; the breadth 

 nineteen and a half. The bill is yellow, tipt with 

 black : the forehead and cheeks white : from the 

 eyes to the bill is a black line: the top of the head, 

 and hind part black : the bread, and under fide of 

 the body cloathed with feathers fo clofely let toge 



ther 



