38 GREAT TERN. 



Ill the evening, I have remarked, as they retired from the upper parts 

 of the bays, rivers and inlets, to the beach for repose, about breeding 

 time, that each generally carried a small fish in his bill. 



As soon as the young are able to fly, they lead them to the sandy 

 shoals and ripples where fish are abundant ; and while they occasionally 

 feed them, teach them by their example to provide for themselves. 

 They sometimes penetrate a great way inland, along the courses of 

 rivers ; and are occasionally seen about all our numerous ponds, lakes 

 and rivers, most usually near the close of the summer. 



This species inhabits Europe as high as Spitzbergen ; is found on the 

 arctic coasts of Siberia and Kamtschatka, and also on our own conti- 

 nent as far north as Hudson's Bay. In New England it is called by 

 some the Mackerel Gull. It retires from all these places, at the 

 approach of winter, to more congenial seas and seasons. 



The Great Tern is fifteen inches long, and thirty inches in extent ; 

 bill reddish yellow, sometimes brilliant crimson, slightly angular on the 

 lower mandible, and tipped with black ; whole upper part of the head 

 black, extending to a point half way down the neck behind, and includ- 

 ing the eyes ; sides of the neck, and whole lower parts, pure white ; 

 wing quills hoary, as if bleached by the weather, long and pointed ; 

 whole back, scapulars and wing, bluish white, or very pale lead color; 

 rump and tail coverts white ; tail long and greatly forked, the exterior 

 feathers being three inches longer than the adjoining ones, the rest 

 shortening gradually for an inch and a half to the middle ones, the 

 whole of a pale lead color ; the outer edge of the exterior ones black ; 

 legs and webbed feet brilliant red lead ; membranes of the feet deeply 

 scalloped ; claws large and black, middle one the largest. The primary 

 quill feathers are generally dark on their inner edges. The female 

 difi'ers in having the two exterior feathers of the tail considerably 

 shorter. The voice of these birds is like the harsh jarring of an open- 

 ing door, on its rusted hinges. The bone of the skull is remarkably 

 thick and strong, as also the membrane that surrounds the brain ; in 

 this respect resembling the Woodpecker's. In both, this provision is 

 doubtless intended to enable the birds to support, without injury, the 

 violent concussions caused by the plunging of the one, and the chiselling 

 of the other. 



