24 SANDWICH TERN. 



They breed on the Bass Rock, off the coast of Berwick; 

 also in Kent, about Romney Marsh; in Essex, at the mouth 

 of the Black water River; and in Northumberland, on the 

 Fern Island and Coquet Island. 



They are exclusively birds df the sea, and only seen inland 

 as chance stragglers. 



They arrive about the end of April, or towards the middle 

 of May, and are gone again by the end of August or 

 beginning of September. They migrate by night. 



'As soon,' says Selby, 'as the young birds become tolerably 

 fledged, but before they are altogether able to fly, they 

 frequently take to the water, swimming off to the smaller 

 rocks, where they continue to be fed by the parents, until 

 capable of joining them in their fishing excursions.' They 

 are naturally shy birds, and rise altogether if approached, 

 assembling in vast numbers, being sociable among themselves. 

 They roost on the ground, near the water, gathering together 

 for the purpose about sunset, but their voices are heard 

 afterwards till far into the night, and again early in the 

 morning, while trimming their feathers for the day. 



Its flight is rapid, each stroke of the pinions sending it 

 quickly onwards. Ever on the wing, its whole deportment 

 is elegant and graceful, and those who will 'take the wings 

 of the morning' and go down to the sea to enjoy the sight 

 of the 'great deep,' always the same and always different 

 and all the 'wonders of the shore,' will see nothing more 

 worthy of notice where ten thousand things are worthy of 

 notice than the 'air and the grace' of the Sea Swallow on 

 the wing, as it now skims along backwards and forwards, 

 now stoops on its game, and now soars aloft for a more dis- 

 tant flight. 



They feed on fish the sand-launce, gar-fish, and others, 

 darting down on such as come within ken, or sweeping up 

 any that chance between the waves when running high. 



The note is a loud, hoarse, and grating cry or scream, 

 likened to the syllables 'pink,' or 'cree.' 



These birds live together in large colonies, hundreds and 

 even thousands of pairs crowding together in the same places, 

 the eggs in consequence being so close together that it is 

 difficult to avoid treading on them. The situation chosen 

 is a sandy spot, covered at the most with short and bare 

 vegetation. If the nesting-place is threatened, the birds fly 

 about in a cloud, or sweep or dash about an intruder. 



