THE COMMON TERN 227 



their tarsus is very short ; but they often alight on the sea, 

 where they swim very buoyantly. Sometimes a flock of 

 Common Terns settle on a rock some distance from shore, 

 and they almost invariably choose an island of some sort on 

 which to sleep at night. 



The wild seashore can offer few prettier sights than a 

 flock of these charming little birds busy in search of food. 

 Very often they feed close inshore, especially where the 

 beach is rocky and the water moderately deep. A shoal of 

 fry is moving slowly along at the surface of the water ; you 

 may see the dark mass from shore, as the millions of tiny fish 

 gambol and swim about, and you may trace the movements 

 of the shoal by the actions of the Terns. In slow graceful 

 flight they hover above the fry, and first one and then another 

 drop down into the water, just like Gannets, and secure a fish, 

 sitting on the surface until they have swallowed it. Some- 

 times they dart rapidly down, and, fluttering over the sea with 

 legs and feet extended, seize a fish floating near the surface ; 

 and birds are constantly alighting on the water to rest a moment 

 or preen their beautiful plumage. The flight of this Tern is 

 exceedingly graceful, slow and regular, but often full of rapid 

 twists and aerial gambols, especially when two birds buffet or 

 toy with each other in mid-air. For miles these beautiful 

 little birds follow the shoals of fish, and they often make their 

 appearance amongst the fleet of fishing boats, feeding on 

 the small fish which are thrown away when the nets are 

 drawn. 



Terns are not very noisy birds, except at their breeding- 

 places. When fishing you may hear them utter an occasional 

 'krick or hree-ick, but they seem too intent on their labours to 

 converse. The food of the Common Tern is principally com- 

 posed of small fish, especially fry. I have known them catch 

 sand eels, and now and then an insect or a crustacean is 

 secured, especially as the birds sit or rather lie on the beach 



