A HAND-LIST OF BRITISH BIRDS. 195 



STERNA PARADIS^A* 



420. Sterna paradisaea Briinn. THE ARCTIC TERN. 



STERNA PARADIS^A Brunnich, Orn. Bor. p. 46 (1764 Christiansoe, 



Denmark). 



Sterna macrura Naumann, Yarrell, in, p. 553 ; Saunders, p. 649. 



DISTRIBUTION. British Isles. Summer-resident (April to Sept. 

 and Oct.). England. Breeds only Fame Isles (Northumberland), 

 Scilly Isles, two groups of islets off Anglesey, Walney (Lanes.), and 

 Isle of Man. Elsewhere on passage and often inland. Scotland. 

 Breeds all coasts and groups of islands, and outnumbers 8. hirundo 

 on west side north of Loch Broom and in Orkneys and Shetlands, 

 and is chief breeding species 0. Hebrides. Ireland. On coasts and 

 some lakes. More numerous than 8. hirundo. 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Breeds in northern regions of Old and 

 New Worlds, from about 82 north lat. south to about 50 north lat. 

 in Europe and 42 in America. In winter southwards to coasts of 

 Africa and South America. Appears to be represented by a closely- 

 allied form in the Southern Ocean, though some ornithologists are 

 of opinion that these southern birds are migrants from the Northern 

 Hemisphere. 



STERNA MINUTA 



421. Sterna minuta minuta L. THE LITTLE TERN. 



STERNA MINUTA Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. xn, i, p. 228 (1766 S. Europe). 

 Sterna minuta Linnaeus, Yarrell, in, p. 558 ; Saunders, p. 651. 



DISTRIBUTION. British Isles. Summer-resident (end April to 

 Sept. or Oct., exceptionally later). Breeding colonies of various 

 sizes here and there south coasts. East coast as far north as Tees- 

 mouth, but not further north in England ; a few pairs Forth, 

 increasing Tay, a few Aberdeen, fair number Moray Firth, but 

 doubtful breeder northwards on mainland, but appears to breed 

 Orkneys, though only straggler Shetlands. On west side colonies 

 from Cornwall to Solway, but does not now breed northwards on 

 mainland, though it does in Tiree, and has in Barra since 1901-3, 

 in N. Uist in 1907, possibly in Lewis in 1907, and in another O. 

 Hebrides since 1885 or 1886. Breeds in Ireland on coasts of Leinster, 

 Ulster, and Connaught. 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Breeds in north Europe and north-west 

 Africa, and in Asia as far east as Turkestan and perhaps India 

 (Indian birds may be separable), and winters as far south as tropical 

 and south Africa, Burmah and Java. Replaced by allied forms 



* There is no doubt about Briinnich's name, and it has many years 

 priority over that of Naumann. E.H. 



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