THE LESSER TERN. 571 



tidal pool, or pond, in a salt marsh. Suddenly it arrests 

 its onward progress, soars like a Kestril for a second or 

 two, with its beak pointed downwards. It has descried a 

 shrimp, or small fish, and this is its way of taking aim. 

 Employing the mechanism with which its Creator has 

 provided it, it throws out of gear its apparatus of feathers 

 and air-tubes, and falls like a plummet into the water, 

 with a splash which sends circle after circle to the shore; 

 and, in an instant, having captured and swallowed its 

 petty booty, returns to its aerial watch-post. A social 

 little party of three or four birds, who have thus taken 

 possession of a pond, will remain fishing as long as the tide 

 is high enough to keep it full. They take little notice of 

 passengers ; and if startled by the report of a gun, remove 

 to a short distance only, and there resume their occupa- 

 tion. Sometimes they may be seen floating about in the 

 open sea, resting their wings, perhaps, after a long flight, 

 or simply idling, certainly not fishing; for, although they 

 plunge from a height, with great ease and elegance, diving 

 proper is not one of their accomplishments. 



To the stranger who visits the coast of Norfolk, the 

 Lesser Tern will, perhaps, be pointed out under the name 

 of " Sea Swallow," or, more probably, as a " Shrimp 

 Catcher." Either of these names is appropriate. Its 

 mode of progress through the air is more like a Swallow's 

 than that of the Common Tern, and in size it does not 

 so very much exceed the Swift as to make the comparison 

 outrageous. A shrimp it can undoubtedly catch ; and it 

 exercises its vocation in shallow water, such as shrimps 

 alone inhabit or small fish no larger than shrimps. 



Like the other Terns it is migratory, repairing year 

 after year to low flat shores on various parts of the coast, 

 arriving in May, and departing in September for some 

 climate subject to no cold severe enough to banish small 

 marine animals to deep water. The Lesser Tern makes no 

 nest, but lays its eggs, generally two, among the shingle. 



