STERNA.] AVES NATATORES. 267 



of the crown towards the occiput marked with large dusky spots; the 

 long occipital feathers brownish black with whitish tips: rest of 

 the upper parts dull bluish ash, irregularly spotted with pale reddish 

 brown, all the feathers whitish at the tips : under parts whitish : many 

 of the quills tipped with white: lesser wing-coverts near the top of 

 the wing dusky gray with whitish edges : tail ash-gray, passing into 

 white on the inner webs, and towards the tips of the feathers : bill 

 much shorter than in the adult bird, dusky at the tip, dull orange at the 

 base : legs orange. (Egg.) Yellowish stone- colour, blotched and spotted 

 with ash-gray and dark red-brown : long. diam. one inch eight lines ; 

 trans, diam. one inch two lines. 



Common on most parts of the British coast during the spring and 

 summer months. Retires in the Autumn. Occasionally observed inland 

 on fresh waters. Breeds on flat shingly shores, and lays from two to four 

 eggs. Of noisy and restless habits ; constantly on wing. Food, insects 

 and small fish. Obs. The Brown Tern of English authors is probably 

 this species in immature plumage. 



285. S. arctica, Temm. (Arctic Tern.) Bill slender; 

 red throughout its whole length : legs red : tarsus seven 

 lines : tail very much forked ; longer than the wings. 



S. arctica, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. n. p. 742. Arctic Tern, Shaw, 

 Gen. Zool. vol. xm. p. 152. Selb. Illust. vol. ii. p. 473. pi. 90. 

 f. 2. 



DIMENS. Entire length fifteen inches: length of the bill (from the 

 forehead) one inch four lines, (from the gape) one inch ten lines ; of the 

 tarsus seven lines ; of the tail seven inches nine lines ; from the carpus to 

 the end of the wing eleven inches. 



DE SCRIPT. Very similar to the last species, but may always be dis- 

 tinguished by the much shorter tarsus, and the bill which is also shorter 

 and generally of one colour throughout. (Summer plumage.) Forehead, 

 crown, and long occipital feathers, deep black ; rest of the upper parts 

 bluish ash: throat, front of the neck, breast and belly, of the same 

 colour as the back; vent, under tail-coverts, and a band beneath the 

 eyes, pure white : tail very much forked; always longer than in the last 

 species, extending (in the adult male) one inch two lines beyond the 

 wings : tarsi and toes very short ; of a deep crimson-red : bill crimson- 

 red. (Egg.) Colour the same as in the last species: long. diam. one 

 inch seven lines ; trans, diam. one inch one line. 



Inhabits the Arctic Regions; resorting to the northern coasts of 

 Britain during the summer months. According to Selby, very abundant 

 in the Fern Islands, where they arrive about the middle of May and stay 

 till August. Eggs laid on the gravelly beach or bare ground ; three or 

 four in number. Food, small fish, particularly the fry of the sand-eel 

 (Ammodytes Tobianus.) 



286. S. minuta. Linn. (Lesser Tern.) Bill orange, 

 the tip black : legs orange : tarsus seven lines and a half : 

 tail very much forked, shorter than the wings: forehead 

 white. 



