272 fiamc Intcrcfifiug Birds. 



Winter Plumage : The forehoarl is imich moftlorl Avith white, the 

 underparts almost lun'o white, and the h:ll and feet dusky-red. 



Yoi'ng: Head, streaked hlaekish-b^own; back mottled 

 with grey, l)vown and white; tail pale grey, whitish at tip; 

 beneath white; bill and feet reddish-yellow. The down of 

 the nestling is buff, mottled with black, wh-tish beloAv, with 

 black throat. 



Ean(;e: May l)e said to be commo;i over the greater 

 part of the British Isles, but is less plentiful in the extreme 

 north, where the Arctic Tern (Strrnn macnira) is the more 

 plentiful. It arrives in England about the end of April and 

 depart.; in the autumn (September, Oc.tol>:M-), and during the 

 autumna' migration may be met with on rivers and inland 

 waters. The range, covering summer and winter, is very 

 extended — besides the British Isles, it frequents the coasts, 

 rivers, and lakes of Europe, Africa, Atlantic Islands, Xorth 

 America, Asia, India; while in winter it has been taken in 

 Bolivia Brazil. 



Breeding: Their b^'eeding range may be roughly des- 

 cribed as here and there throughout the British Isles, and 

 abroad across Europe to Central Asia and North .4merica. 

 They breed in colonies on both sandy and shingly beaches, also 

 by fresh water, laying two or three Qg%-^ on sandy shingle, 

 with or without a slight bedding of dry grass, or on the ground 

 in marshy places. The ground colour of the e^ii, varies from 

 pale buff to olive-brown, much mottled ami spotted with black, 

 but the size and arrangement of marking is very variable; 

 the average measurements are 1 . 7 x 1.1 in. Eggs have been 

 found by the middle of May, lint June is usually in before 

 incubation is general. 



Their natural diet consists of small fish, sand eels, 

 shrimps and crustaceans generally. 



They resent intrusion and become very fierce; feathered 

 Intruderc; into the area of the breeding colony are frequcntlj^ 

 killed. 



iThe Common Tern, perha])s of all our coast birds, excites 

 the admiration of the beholder most, and to ■ e:^ a number of these 

 birds hawking over the water is a sight long to be remembered; 

 one ir. held almost spellbound by their graceful flight evolu- 

 tions, and the lightning-like rapidity with which they dart 



