426 THE BIRDS OF KENT 



SANDWICH TERN. 



Sterna cantiaca, Gmelin. S.N., i., p. 606 (1788). 

 Boys' Tern. 



This beautiful Tern was first described by Dr. Latham 

 under the name of Sandwich Tern, in his General 

 Syno2)sis of Birds, vol. iii., part ii., p. 357, 1785. He 

 writes : " This species is pretty common on the coast 

 of Kent in the summer months, and breeds there ; 

 frequents that of Sandwich in vast flocks, and makes a 

 screaming noise. May be supposed to lay their eggs 

 among the rocks in the month of June, and hatch them 

 before the middle of July, as I have received the young 

 birds from that diligent naturalist, Mr. Boys, the end 

 of August, 1784. About the same time a young bird, 

 with nearly the same markings, was shot by Br. Leith, 

 of Greenwich, on the banks of the Thames near that 

 place." In his Supplement, i., p. 266, 1787, he says : 

 " Boys has informed ine that it is found to associate 

 with the Common Tern. The Sandwich Tern is gener- 

 ally to be seen in the neighbourhood of Bomney about 

 April 17, and departs about September 5." At p. 296, 

 loc. cit., he names it Sterna sandvicensis. 



In 1788 Gmelin described it under the name of 

 Sterna cantiaca, which should be adopted for the 

 species, although Latham's Sterna sandvicensis has 

 priority. Again, even after Gmelin had named it, 

 Latham renamed it Sterna boysii, in his Index Ornith., 

 vol. ii., p. 806, 1790. 



Mr. B. T. Filmer says it is rare, but is to be seen 

 in the breeding season on the large piece of open water 

 near Bungeness Light. 



