CASPIAN TERN. 271 



by the black-headed group. Most of the species 

 are summer visitants. 



GFNUS STERNA, Linnceus. Gen eric characters. 

 Bill rather long, nearly straight, compressed, 

 drawn to a fine point, maxilla with a slight 

 angle near its centre ; nostrils basal, lateral, 

 linear, oblong, pervious ; wings very long, ac- 

 cuminate, quills in situ having a narrow surface, 

 first longest ; legs short, feet small, tibiae naked 

 for a short space down the tarsal joint, hallux 

 short, claws sharp. 



Types. St. hirundo, rosea, minor , &c. Cos- 

 mopolite. 



Note. Gregarious ; breed on the coasts or islands ; 

 take their prey by a partial plunge. 



THE CASPIAN TERN, STERNA CASPIA, Pall. 

 Hirondelle du iner, Tschegrava^ Temm. Caspian 

 Tern of British authors. The Caspian Tern has 

 been killed at different times on the English coast, 

 particularly on the eastern side, but we are not 

 aware of any birds occurring to the northward or in 

 Scotland. It is a bird of which very little generally 

 is known ; it breeds eastward along the shores of 

 Europe, has been obtained in the Grecian Archi- 

 pelago, and, as its name indicates, in the Caspian 

 Sea. Its only recorded breeding station is at Lylt, 

 ar. isiand on the west coast of Jutland. * We have 

 * Yarrell. 



