268 AVES NATATORES. [STERNA. 



S. minuta, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. n. p. 752. Lesser Tern, Mont. 

 Orn. Diet. $ Supp. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. n. p. 187. Selb; 

 Illust. vol. n. p. 475. pi. 89. f. 3, & 4. 



DIMENS. Entire length nine inches six lines : length of the bill (from 

 the forehead) one inch two lines, (from the gape) one inch eight lines ; of 

 the tarsus seven lines and a half; of the middle toe, claw included, nine 

 lines ; of the tail three inches three lines ; from the carpus to the end of 

 the wing seven inches one line : breadth, wings extended, twenty inches 

 ten lines. 



DESCRIPT. (Summer and winter plumage.) Forehead, and a streak 

 above the eyes, pure white ; between the bill and the eye a broad black 

 streak; crown, occiput, and nape, deep black; back, scapulars, and 

 wing-coverts, pale bluish ash : first three quills blackish gray, their inner 

 webs broadly edged with white: cheeks, all the under parts, and tail, 

 pure white : bill yellowish orange ; the tip black : irides black : legs and 

 toes orange-yellow. (Young of the year.) Forehead yellowish white; 

 crown, occiput and nape, brownish, with dusky streaks ; before and be- 

 hind the eyes a black spot ; back, scapulars and wing-coverts, yellowish 

 white, with a crescent-shaped dusky bar near the extremity of each 

 feather : quills cinereous gray, eded and tipped with yellowish white : 

 tail nearly even at the end, white tinged with cinereous, the tips of the 

 feathers yellowish : throat, and all the under parts, white : bill shorter 

 than in the adult bird, pale yellow, the tip blackish brown : legs dull 

 yellow. (Egg.) Stone-colour, spotted and speckled with ash-gray and 

 dark chestnut-brown : long. diam. one inch four lines ; trans, diam. eleven 

 lines. 



Common on some parts of the British coast during the summer 

 months, but not so generally diffused as the -S. Hirundo. Habits similar- 

 to those of that species. Eggs two or three in number, deposited on the 

 shingly beach a little above high water-mark. Food, marine worms and 

 winged insects. 



287. S. nigra, Linn. (Black Tern.) Bill black: 

 legs reddish brown : membranes of the toes deeply emar- 

 ginated: tarsus seven lines and a half: tail not much forked, 

 shorter than the wings. 



S. nigra, Temm. Man. d'Om. torn. n. p. 749. Black Tern, Mont. 

 Orn. Diet. $ Supp. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. n. p. 195. Selb. 

 Illust. vol. n. p. 477. pi. 91. 



DIMENS. Entire length ten inches three lines : length of the bill 

 (from the forehead) one inch two lines, (from the gape) one inch seven 

 lines and a half; of the tarsus seven lines and a half; of the tail three 

 inches three lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing eight inches 

 eight lines : breadth, wings extended, twenty-three inches six lines. 



DESCRIPT. (Summer plumage.) Head and neck deep black : breast 

 and abdomen dark ash-colour : all the upper parts, including the rump 

 and tail, deep bluish gray : vent and under tail-coverts pure white : 

 wings, when closed, extending one inch seven lines beyond the tail : bill 

 black: irides brown: legs purplish brown. (Winter plumage.) Fore- 

 head, space between the bill and the eyes, throat and all the fore part of 

 the neck, white : the rest as in summer. In the intermediate seasons, 



