480 NATATORES. STERNA. TERN. 



with grey ; the edges of the feathers being yellowish- 

 white. Wing-coverts, rump, and tail, deep grey. Base 

 of the bill reddish-brown. Feet and toes bluish-grey, 

 tinged with flesh-red. In this state the present species 

 appears to be Variety A. of the Sandwich Tern, in LA- 

 THAM^S Index Ornithologicus, the Sterna Ncevia of 

 GMELIN, and the Guifette of BUFFON. 



GULL-BILLED TERN. 



STERNA ANGLICA, Mont. 

 PLATE LXXXVIII. FIG. 1. 



Sterna Anglica, Mont. Ornith. Diet. Sup. et Tab Flem. Br. Anira. 1. 143. 



No. 233. 



Viralva Anglica, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 13. 174. 

 Sterna Aranea ? Wils. Amer. Orn. 8. 158. pi. 72. f. C. 

 Hirondelle de Mer Hansel, Temm. Man. d'Orn. 2. 744. 

 Marsh Tern, Wils. Amer. Orn. as above. 

 Gull-billed Tern, Mont. Orn. Diet. Sup. and Figure. Flem. Br. Anhn. 



1. 143. No. 233. 

 Gull-billed Viralve, Shaw's Zool. 13. 174. 



THE discovery of this species (which it seems, from re- 

 Rarevisi- / . 



tant. semblance in size and general appearance, had previously 



been confounded with the Sterna Boysii of Dr LATHAM), we 

 owe to the discrimination of MONTAGU, who has pointed out 

 its distinguishing characters, and given a figure of it in the 

 Supplement to his Ornithological Dictionary. From the 

 specific name of Anglica (rather inappropriately imposed by 

 this author), it might be supposed a common and generally 

 distributed bird throughout this country ; but it is, on the 

 contrary, one of our rarest species, and has hitherto been 

 only occasionally met with on the southern coast of the king- 

 dom, and never in any number together. In its habits it 

 approaches nearer to the Black Tern than to the oceanic 

 species previously described, preferring the lakes and rivers 



