WHISKERED TERN. 281 



The only difference in the sexes is a slightly larger 

 size, and in the black extending rather farther down 

 the nape on the male. 



THE WHISKERED TERN, STERNA LEUCOPAREIA. 

 Of this tern a single specimen only has heen ob- 

 tained on the coasts of Britain, shot by a boating 

 party at Lyme in Dorsetshire, and fortunately com- 

 ing under the observation of T. C. Heysham, Esq. 

 of Carlisle, that gentleman procured for Mr. Yarrell 

 an opportunity of examining it, and a well executed 

 wood-cut has appeared in the British Ornithology. 

 It still appears a rare bird everywhere, or it has 

 been overlooked ; but Europe may be only the limit 

 of its range northward, and abundant colonies may 

 at some time be met with. Temminck states having 

 received specimens from Borneo. We borrow Mr. 

 Yarrell's description of the Dorsetshire, and at 

 present, the only British specimen. u The bill is 

 red, inclining to dark brown on the edges of both 

 mandibles towards the point, rather short, and the 

 under mandible prominent, an approximation to the 

 form of the under mandible in the gull-billed tern ; 

 the irides brownish black ; forehead, crown and 

 nape black ; from the base of the upper mandible, 

 in a line below the eye to the ear-coverts, a stripe 

 of white, forming the whisker or moustache ; back, 

 wing-coverts, upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers, 

 uniform dark grey, almost slate-grey; first quill- 

 feathers lead-grey on the outer web, and over a 



