LESSER TERN. 521 



of Forth on both sides. Professor Macgillivray says it 

 visits the sands near Aberdeen, and also some other loca- 

 lities on the west coast of Scotland. It frequents some of 

 the sandy flats in the Solway Frith ; and Mr. Wm. 

 Thompson notices it as a regular summer visitant to 

 Ireland. 



M. Nilsson says it is common in summer on the shores 

 of the Baltic ; and it is said to visit Kussia and Siberia. 

 It is not very common in the interior of Germany, but is 

 included in the different histories of the birds of that coun- 

 try. It is abundant on the coasts of Holland and France, 

 but not commonly found inland. M. Savi includes it in 

 his Birds of Italy ; it is seen occasionally at Corfu and in 

 Sicily ; is common at Biserta ; and is said to have been 

 found at the Black and the Caspian Seas ; but it is not 

 mentioned in the catalogues of the Russian naturalists who 

 have lately visited these localities. Mr. Gould mentions 

 having received this species from India, and it is a common 

 species in the United States. 



In the adult bird in summer the beak is orange, tipped 

 with black ; irides dusky ; forehead white, crown of the 

 head and the nape jet black ; back and wings uniform 

 delicate pearl-grey, the first, second, and sometimes the 

 third primary slate-grey ; upper tail-coverts and tail-fea- 

 thers white, tail forked ; chin, throat, sides of neck, breast, 

 and all the under surface of the body pure white ; legs, 

 toes, and membranes orange. The whole length of the 

 bird rather more than eight inches ; from the wrist to the 

 end of the wing six inches and three-quarters. The adult 

 bird in winter only varies in having the head dull black, 

 instead of deep black. 



The young bird of the year, as figured, has the point of 

 the bill dark brown, the base pale brown ; forehead 



