398 LARIDAG 
they were scarce able to submerge themselves, yet they 
must have struck the bottom in their descent. I found 
shrimps and tiny crabs swarming on the bed of the channel, 
on which these Terns were feeding. It is a proof of the 
remarkably keen sight of these birds that from a height 
in the air they can spy their quarry, not only when it 
is swimming immediately under the surface of the water, 
but when the little creatures are crawling or even standing 
motionless on the bottom, perhaps half buried in the sand 
with which they almost exactly correspond in colour. 
I have seen Little Terns, when not engaged in fishing, 
gather into a small, closely-packed flock, which, after 
flitting about over the sea, broke up, many of the birds 
ascending to an immense height until their beautiful white 
feathers stood out in bold relief against the deep blue sky, 
while their vibrating pinions glistened like silver as the 
rays of the summer sun danced upon them. I have seen a 
couple of immature birds accompany a flock of Sanderlings, 
skimming over the breakers with rapid beat of wing, 
returning again to alight at the edge of the tide. 
Flight.—The flight resembles that of other Terns. The 
wide spread of wing and long pointed pinions, give the 
bird the appearance of being larger than it really is. The 
same holds good for the Common and Arctic Terns, which, 
on the wing, appear almost to equal the Black-headed 
Gull in size. 
Votce.— When not annoyed, this species produces a 
note which sounds as pir-ré-pirré. When the nest is too 
closely approached, and especially when the young are 
about, a highly- pitched but angry little bark, sounding 
like jép-jép-jeppa-jep-jep, is uttered. 
Food.—F ish are largely consumed, chiefly herring-fry ; 
also shrimps and small crabs. I have seen Little Terns, 
especially immature birds, foraging with Turnstones under 
rotting seaweed for sand-hoppers. 
Nest.—The nests, of which several in a colony may be in 
close proximity, are often found on sandy beaches, amid 
broken shells and bits of seaweed. In some cases but a 
shght hollow in the bare sand is made to accommodate the 
eggs; in other cases, I have seen perfect little nests more 
deeply sculptured, and lined with fragments of broken 
shells. In many instances I have detected a bare ‘ girdle ’ 
or ‘zone’ of sand denuded of shells, immediately surround- 
ing the mouth of the nest, from which, in all probability, 
