58 OCEAN BIRDS. 



intervening membranes deeply concave in front, or semi-palmated ; the bind toe free; 

 claws small, curved. Wings long, pointed, the first quill-featber the longest. Tail forked 

 in various degrees." — Yarrell, Brit. Birds (vol. iii.). 



The Common Tern {Sterna hirundo). — This well-known little bird visits our country 

 from May to September. Before leaving us tbey collect in flocks, for, like their namesake 

 the Swallow, they seem to prefer taking their long journey south in the largest company 

 possible. Anywhere between Graveseud and the Cape of Good Hope, iu the vicinity of 

 land, this sociable little bird might come fluttering out to the ship, and, if undisturbed, 

 be only too glad to spend the night on board, as they often get further out to sea than 

 they intend, and being bad swimmers are glad of a rest. 



The hirundo for this particular bird, and "Sea Swallow" for all the Terns, is owing 

 to the mutual long forked tail and pointed curving wings, rather than to any resemblance 

 in the actual flying itself, which is of a very inferior order to that of its namesake. 

 I have often watched Swallows beat down a street, and while in full flight pick the flies 

 off the windows, and this without appearing to touch the glass — so wonderfully precise 

 can they be. Now the winged movements of the Tern always seem to me to be of an 

 uncertain and "don't care where I go" sort of order — more like a butterfly than a bird. 

 But perhaps, after all, this is only put on to deceive the young and innocent fry off 

 whom they so dearly love to sup. For how soon this airy, flopperty, style, can be 

 changed into a headlong dash into the water. "What are they after?" I once asked 

 my fisherman on Loch Leven, after watching and admiring a pair of Common Terns 

 taking magnificent headers into the Loch. "Young Perch," he replied, "and I should 

 be sorry to feed my cat on the ones they go for and miss." He was fond of his cat 

 was this man. They are sometimes seen high up sweeping along at a tremendous pace, 

 apparently bound on most urgent business. They then fly both strong and fast, and 

 with their powerful wings and long tail much resemble a hawk, from which reason they 

 are often by shore-going mariners called " Sea-hawks." At Hickling Broad by the same 

 class of individuals they are called "Daws." 



It is difiicult to understand what Yarrell, in * British Birds,' means when he says 

 they never dive. Probably he only refers to the "head-over-heels" kind of arrangement 

 of the domestic Duck and others. But as to the real genuine header, one might safely 

 back a Tern or a Gannet against any other bird that flies. Both of them seem to drop 

 perpendicularly into the water, and to disappear altogether from view until they emerge 

 with the captured fish. 



