474 HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS 



One, Scalby, near Scarborough, 1863 : Clarke and Roe- 

 buck, " Handbook Yorks. Vert.," p. 80. In the collec- 

 tion of Mr. Edward Tindall. 



One on the Thames, near Wallingford, Berks, June 21, 

 1869: Harting, Field, June 26, 1869; Zool, 1869, p. 

 1867. In the possession of Mr. Franklyn. This bird 

 was brought to me to be named shortly after it was 

 killed, and before it was skinned. 



One on the estuary of the Axe, near Axminster : Rev. J. B. 

 Selwood, Field, July 17, 1869. It is doubtful whether 

 this may not have been Hydrochelidon nigra. The 

 death of Mr. Selwood unfortunately prevented a solu- 

 tion of the doubt. 



One near Bath, Oct. 1885 : Identified by the late Rev. L. 

 Blomefield; Saunders' " Manual," 2nd ed., p. 653. 



Obs. Other birds recorded under this name 

 proved to be Black Terns (Saunders, I.e.). The 

 Lesser Sooty Tern (Sterna anwstheta), Scopoli, a 

 native of the West Indies, West and East Africa, 

 the Indian Ocean, New Guinea, and Northern 

 Australia, has been reported to have been obtained 

 at the mouth of the Thames in Sept. 1875 (Zool., 

 1877, p. 213). But according- to Mr. Saunders 

 (" Manual," p. 654), " the evidence is slightly im- 

 perfect." The measurements may be given for the 

 sake of comparison Avith those of Sterna fuliginosa 

 as follows : — Length, 14'5 in. ; bill, 1'75 in. ; wing, 

 10 in. ; and tarsus, O'S in. 



NODDY TERN. Bterna dolida (Linnseus). Length, 

 16 in. ; bill, 2 in. ; wing, 10*25 in. ; tarsus, 1 in. 



Hab. Central America, West India Islands, South Sea 

 Islands, and Australia. 



