292 BRITISH BIEDS' NESTS. 



Saunders. Subject to same variations os the 

 Common and Arctic Terns, but a trifle longer than 

 tlie second. Distingnishable, however, only by the 

 appearance of parent birds. Size about 1'7 by 

 1-15 in. 



Time. — May and June, 



BeinarlH. — Migratory, arriving in May and depart- 

 ing, probably, about the time of the other Terns. 

 Note : liT-ee. Local and other names : none. Gre- 

 garious, and not a close sitter. 



TERN, SANDWICH. 



Description of Parent Birds. — Length about 

 fifteen inches ; bill rather long, straight, slender, 

 and pointed ; black in colour, except at the tip, 

 which is primrose-yellow. Irides hazel. Crown of 

 the head and nape black ; the feathers at the 

 back of the head are rather long and form a loose, 

 pointed plume ; back pearl-grey ; wings very long, 

 pearl-grey in colour, except the longest quill-feathers, 

 which are rather darker; tail white and much forked; 

 chin, throat, breast, belty, and vent white, some- 

 times tinged with salmon pink ; legs, toes, mem- 

 branes, and claws black. 



The female is very similar to the male. 



Situation and Localit/j.' — On the ground, in a 

 slight hollow in the sand or pebbles on low rocky 

 islands. The principal colony in this country is 

 on the Fame Islands. Our illustration is from a 

 photograph taken on a slight ridge of sand, measur- 

 ing about twenty by seven yards. The keepers 

 informed us that in 1892 they counted 210 Sand- 

 wich Terns' nests on the same ridge. When our 

 boat neared the Tern Island (Knoxes) the birds 



