TERN LITTLE & BLACK-HEADED GULL. 127 



LITTLE TERN (Sterna minuta). 



Migrant : May to September. Rather local, and nowhere 

 really abundant, but found breeding almost throughout our 

 coast-lines, where there are flat, sandy or shingly shores. 



Plumage. Crown and nape black. Forehead, sides of face, 

 rump, tail, and under parts white ; upper parts pearl-grey. 

 Bill reddish yellow, tipped with black. Legs and feet orange- 

 yellow. Length 9 in. Female similar, but slightly smaller. 

 In winter the black head is duller. Young : head and nape 

 suffused with buff, and streaked with black ; mantle greyish, 

 with buff tinge, mottled with umber-brown ; black loral patch 

 of adult only indicated in immature birds by a dark line ; rump 

 and tail not so pure white as in adult. Nestling : covered with 

 buff down ; head black ; back grey ; under parts whitish fawn. 



Language. Similar to the last two species, but thinner and 

 shriller. 



Habits. Generally much the same as the last two species. 



Food. Generally much the same as the last two species. 



Nest. May or June. One brood. 



Site. In hollow in shingle, and not far above high-water 

 mark. 



Materials. If any, a few grasses or bits of seaweed. 



Eggs. Two or three. Like smaller editions of the Common 

 Tern's. 



LITTLE GULL (Larus minutus). 



An irregular visitor from Europe. Occurrences of it are 

 reported almost every year. In general appearance it may be 

 described as a Lesser Black-headed Gull, only the head is 

 really black, and not brown, as in L. ridibundus. The black 

 head is the nuptial dress, which, when visiting us, is whitish, 

 more or less streaked with ash-colour. Under sides of wings 

 black and conspicuous in flight. It is about five inches smaller 

 than L. ridibundus. Breeds in continental Europe. 



BLACK-HEADED GULL (Larus ridibundus). 



Or, more properly, Brown-headed Gull. Resident : but largely 

 intermigratory. Of late years, increasingly vast hosts of these 

 birds come up the Thames to London, and visit the lake in St. 

 James's Park from autumn until early spring. Well distributed 

 and common throughout our coast-lines where it is fairly flat. 

 It breeds in marshy places near the sea, and often on inland 

 waters. The chief Gulleries are at Scoulton Mere, Norfolk, and 

 on Walney Island ; while it also breeds commonly at various 

 other stations north of Yorkshire, but sparingly southwards. 



Plumage. Head, nape, and throat chocolate-brown ; upper 



