428 LA RIDE. 



ferent lakes in Switzerland. It has been observed at Genoa ; 

 M. Savi includes it in liis Birds of Italy, and it is seen on 

 the Adriatic and the Mediterranean every season. It is said 

 to be found about the Caspian sea in winter. 



It feeds on insects and worms, according to M. Temminck, 

 but very little of its habits are known. On more than one oc- 

 casion when shot in this country it was associated with Terns. 



The figure of this bird in its summer-plumage at the head 

 of this subject, was taken from a specimen given me by Mr. 

 Gould. In this specimen the bill is reddish-brown ; the 

 irides very dark brown ; the whole of the head and the upper 

 part of the neck all round is black ; the neck below white ; 

 the back, wing-coverts, and wings, uniform pale ash-grey, the 

 outer primaries darker grey, with white at the end and on the 

 inner margin of the web -, upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers 

 white, the tail in form square at the end ; all the under sur- 

 face of the body and under tail-coverts white ; legs, toes, 

 and membranes vermilion. 



An adult bird in winter has the bill almost black ; irides 

 dark brown ; forehead and upper part of neck in front, and on 

 the sides pure white ; occiput and nape of the neck streaked 

 with greyish-black on a white ground ; a dusky spot under the 

 eye, and an elongated patch of dusky black falling downwards 

 from the ear-coverts ; all the other parts as in summer. 



The young bird of the year killed in the middle of No- 

 vember, had tlie bill black, irides very dark brown ; forehead 

 and lore white ; top of the head, occiput, and ear-coverts, 

 greyish-black ; nape of the neck white, forming a collar by 

 uniting with the white of the front ; below the nape a broader 

 black band extending towards, but not reaching, the wings ; 

 back, scapulars, and tertials pale pearl-grey, with a few black 

 feathers appearing through ; wing-primaries and secondaries 

 greyish-black, tipped with white, nearly the whole of the 

 inner webs white ; greater wing-coverts pearl-grey ; smaller 

 coverts black, edged with grey; upper tail-coverts white; 



