^6 Allen's naturalist's library. 



Range outside the British Islands. — The species extends to about 

 60° N. lat. in Europe, is scarce on the northern shores of the Baltic, 

 and, as Mr. Howard Saunders says, is " rare on the southern 

 shore of that sea, following the course of the large rivers for 

 so great a distance — nesting on their islands and sand-banks — 

 that it may be said to extend across the Continent to the 

 Mediterranean, Black, and Caspian Seas, while it also fre- 

 quenis the Atlantic coast." Eastward it ranges to Transcaspia, 

 Turkestan, and Northern India, breeding in all these localities. 

 In winter it ranges along the coast of West Africa to the Cape 

 of Good Hope, and is found at the same season along the 

 Burmese coasts as far south as the island of Java. The place 

 of the Little Tern is taken by Sterna saundersi in the Indian 

 Ocean, the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and along the coast of 

 East Africa to Natal and the Mascarene Islands. 



Habits. — The Little Tern is one of a group of small species, 

 distributed over the greater part of the Old World, as well as 

 temperate and tropical North America. From their small size 

 and different appearance to the ordinary Terns they have often 

 been separated from the latter as a distinct genus Siertiula^ 

 but Mr. Saunders finds no characters for their generic separa- 

 tion from the members of the genus Sterna. 



Nevertheless, any one who has seen the birds on the shore, 

 recognises at once a certain difference in the appearance and 

 ways of the Little Tern from those of its larger and more 

 conspicuous colleagues. This may be due, however, rather 

 to the smaller size of ^. miinita^ and its quicker motions, than 

 to any real difference in the habits of this small Tern, 

 as, after all, the ways of the species of the genus Sterna 

 are very much alike. Naturally the small size of the present 

 bird renders it less conspicuous than the Common Tern, and 

 whereas the colonies of the latter bird can generally be detected 

 from some distance, the Little Terns are only discovered by 

 a sudden invasion of their nesting-places. The pairs keep 

 together, and may generally be seen sitting side by side, though 

 they do not permit of a near approach, but fly off before the 

 intruder comes within gun-shot. Only when they have young, 

 however, are they more venturesome, and fly much nearer 

 to the enemy. Such, at least, is my experience, though other 



