THE SANDWICH TERN AND LESSER TERN 



(Sterna cantiaca and *S'. minuta) 



The beautiful Sandwich Tern is the largest of its order that 

 visits our islands regularly in early summer. Its haunts are 

 few and far between, and, sad to say, the bird has disappeared 

 for ever from many localities where it used formerly to breed 

 in abundance. In this country now its grand headquarters 

 are at the Feme Islands, and there we will stray to observe 

 the habits of this interesting species. Like all its congeners 

 it is a migrant, and arrives here from the African coasts by 

 the end of April, although its breeding season does not begin 

 before the end of May or early in June. It is a very 

 gregarious bird, and not only associates with its own -kind, 

 but with most other Terns. When disturbed, the big Sand- 

 wich Terns look very conspicuous amongst their smaller 

 congeners. 



