292 BIRDS OF EUROPE AND NORTH AFRICA 



coverts, under wing coverts and axillaries white. Bill red. Legs 

 and feet vermilion. In winter crown and nape are white 

 streaked with black, and underparts white. Wing ^ 244-255, 

 ? 234-240. Tarsus 22-24. Bill 29-31, Young are like winter 

 adults, but crown is brown freckled with white, scapulars and 

 secondaries mottled, with dark centres and buff margins. Bill 

 and legs brown. 



Breeds. — Portugal, Spain, S. France (Camargue), Hungary, 

 Danube Valley, Dobrudscha, S. Russia north to S. Poland and 

 Volga Valley ; N. Africa (Morocco to Egypt) ; also W. Asia. 

 Migrates. Winters in Africa. Of occasional occurrence in N. 

 Central and N. Western Europe. Casual in British Isles, 



Sterna. 



Terns with short legs, webbed feet, long wings, and forked 

 tail ; flight Swallow-like ; usually met with in small parties on 

 sea-coast, hovering or plunging for fish or picking small 

 crustaceans or insects from the surface ; breed generally in 

 colonies on sea-coasts, islands, or inland lakes; eggs in 

 depression near water, white, buffy ochreous, or dark buff, 

 blotched or spotted with various shades of brown, black 

 and violet grey. 



Sterna anglica anglica Montagu. Gull-billed Tern. 

 F'r. Sterne hansel ; Ger. Lachseeschwalbe ; /tal. Beccapesci 

 inglese. 



^ $ summer. Crown and nape glossy black j upper parts 

 including tail pale blue grey ; quills dark on inner side of inner 

 web and tip of both webs ; beneath white ; under wing coverts 

 and axillaries white. Bill, legs and feet black. Wing 297-328. 

 Tarsus 33-35. Bill 34-37. In winter, crown is white occasionally 

 streaked black, and in front of eye is a black spot. Young : like 

 winter adults but with upper parts marked with brown arrow- 

 headed tips to feathers and crown more streaked ; bill, legs 

 and feet reddish brown. 



Breeds. — Small colony Jutland Coast, S. Spain, Portugal, 

 S. France, S. Bavaria, Hungary, Greece, Black Sea Coasts, 

 Caspian Coasts north to Urals, Tunis, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, 



