BIRDS OF THE SEA-SHORE. 283 



with black, whereas in the Whimbrel the same part is dark- 

 brown, with a pale buff stripe dividing the brown into two 

 equal portions. 



The Terns (Sterna) have been well-named Sea-swallows, 

 and a flock of them flying, wheeling, and doubling, over the 

 waters, presents a very close resemblance of movement to that 

 of the real Swallow. Several species haunt our shores, some 

 coming here to breed. Among these may be noted the Sand- 

 wich Tern (Sterna cantiacd), the largest of the genus that 

 breeds here, which has a yellow-tipped black bill; the Common 

 Tern (S. fluviatilis], which has a ra/bill, the tip of the upper 

 mandible only being black, and that not a very good black ; 

 and the Little Tern (S. minutd) with a yellow bill, black- 

 tipped, and a white forehead. 



The Gulls (Larus] are, of course, abundant, and much time 

 may be pleasantly spent sitting near the edge of a grassy cliff, 

 or some distance up its face, and watching the flight of the 

 gulls below, sometimes rapidly as though time and tide wait 

 for no gull ; at other times with an easy undulating motion as 

 though it were not necessary to hurry about anything, and 

 scarcely necessary to move a wing when sailing on a pair 

 outstretched is so easy a matter. But the visitor is often 

 puzzled to make out the difference between those he com- 

 monly sees, and this is never an easy task to a naturalist until 

 he has spent much time with them and made himself 

 acquainted with the colour changes of the birds from youth 

 to adult age. 



Below I am attempting to tabulate the most striking 

 differences between several species, taking in each case the 

 adult plumage. 



