272 BRITISH BIRDS. 



STERNA CANTIACA. 

 SANDWICH TERN. 



(Plate 48.) 



Sterna saudvicensis, Lath, Qen. Syn. Suppl. i. p. 296 (1787). 



: tenia africana, Gmel. Si/st. Nat. i. p. 605 (1788). 



Sterna cantiaca, Gtnel. Si/st. Nat. i. p. 606 (1788) ; et auctorum plurimorum — 



Naiimann, TemmincJc, Degland i^" Gerbe, Dresse?; Saunders, &c. 

 Sterna boysii, Lat/i. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 80G (1790). 

 Sterna stubberica, Bechst. Naturg. Deutschl. iv. p. 679 (1809). 

 Sterna canescens, Meyer, Taschenb. ii. p. 458 (1810). 

 Thalasseus cantiacas (Gmel.), Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 563. 

 Actochelidon cautiacus (Gmel.), Kaup, Nat'drl. Si/st. p. 31 (1829). 

 Sterna acutlavida, Cabot, Proc. Bost. Soc. ii. p. 257 (1847). 

 Thalasseus acuflavidus (Cab.), Coues, Proc. Phil. Acad. 1862, p. 540. 



The Sandwich Tern was first discovered at Sandwich, on the coast of 

 Kent, by " that diligent naturalist Mr. Boys," who sent examples to 

 Latham in 1784 (Lath. Gen. Syn. iii. p. 357). Latham appears to have 

 acknowledged its specific identity with an immature example from South 

 America in the Leverian Museum, and to have suspected that another 

 immature example from Africa in the British Museum might also belong 

 to the same species. 



Since the days of Latham the Sandwich Tern has been found to be a 

 regular summer visitor to many parts of the British Islands. It no 

 longer breeds on the coast of Essex or Kent, but it is still found in some 

 numbers on the Fame Islands off" the Northumberland coast, and there is 

 a small colony on the coast of Cumberland. A few pairs breed on Walney 

 Island in Lancashire and on the Scilly Islands. In Scotland the breeding- 

 places of this handsome bird have fared no better. It is carefully preserved 

 on Loch Lomond, and is said still to breed in the Firth ot Tay and in 

 Sutherlandshirc and some other places on the west coast. In Ireland it 

 breeds in County Mayo, and possibly on some other parts of the west 

 coast. 



The Sandwich Tern must be regarded as an Atlantic species. It is a 

 summer visitor to Europe as far north as Denmark, on the west coast of 

 Avhich it breeds in considerable numbers. To the southern Baltic it is an 

 accidental visitor, and is only seen on migration on the French coast. In 

 the Mediterranean it is principally known as passing through on migration, 

 but a few remain to breed on the Spanish coast and elsewhere. It is a 

 common summer visitor to the shores and islands of the Black Sea, as well 

 as to those of the Caspian, which appears to be the eastern limit of its 



