( 84 ) 

 SAUNDER'S GULL, 



LARUS SAUNDERSI (SWINHOE.) 

 [Lr^vegfte- (St6jr>] 



Description. — This small gull closely 

 resembles the Laughing Gull (Larus 

 ridibundus), bufc differs from it in 

 three particulars. 



1. — The bill is short, strong, and 

 black in color at all seasons. 



2. — The eyes are black. 



3. — The head in summer in bronze 

 black instead of dark brown. 



Distribution, — China, nesting north 

 to Mongolia and wintering in the 

 Yangtse Valley and to the south. 



This is the Gull most frequently 

 seen on the fresh water of the interior. 



Sub-Family, Sterninae the Terns. 



Bill straight and sharply pointed — 

 not hooked ; outer tail feathers 

 generally longer than the middle ones. 

 Terns are littoral, never pelagic. They 

 inhabit the shores of bodies of both 

 fresh and salt water, but are more 

 abundant on the sea coast. They 

 capture their prey of small fish by 

 plunging into the water, frequently 

 disappearing and swimming a few feet 

 beneath the surface. 



In flight the bill points downward. 

 On the wing Terns are strong, rapid 

 and graceful. The flight is unlike that 

 of any other bird. Buoyant and 

 slightly wavering, it reminds one of the 

 high, apparently uncertain flight of some 

 large-winged butterflies. On account 

 of their unusual powers of flight they 

 have been called Sea-swallows. 



Terns nest in colonies, usually on 

 the ground. 



Six species of Terns frequent the 

 Yangtse Valley and coast region. 



