LAEIDJE. 569 



the pebbles on the beach just above high- water 

 mark, without any hollow being made for them ; 

 occasionally also they are placed in hollows in the 

 sand caused by drift sea-weed. The nests if nests 

 they can be called are sometimes made in marshy 

 places or on the borders of inland lakes. 



The food of the Common Tern appears to consist 

 almost entirely of fish, and perhaps occasionally a 

 few insects. It is a very pretty sight to watch this 

 bird when fishing, Hitting along just above the water, 

 dropping down every now and then to pick up an 

 unwary fish that comes rather too near the surface, 

 and sometimes going out of its beat a little to give a 

 look at the shallow pools that are left by the tide on 

 the sand, to pick up some small fish or shrimp out 

 of this natural aquarium. 



The adult bird in summer has the bill coral-red, 

 black at the tip ; the forehead, crown of the head and 

 nape glossy black; the back, scapulars and wing- 

 coverts gull-grey ; the wings are much pointed, the 

 first quill is the longest and much the darkest in 

 colour, being dusky grey on the outer and part of the 

 inner web ; the rest of the inner web is nearly white, 

 the shaft white ; the tail is much forked, the outside 

 feathers being the longest, the outer webs of all the 

 feathers pale ash-grey, the inner webs white; the 

 legs, toes and webs coral-red; claws black. The 

 following description of the young birds is taken 

 from some shot by myself at Exmouth in October : 



3 c 3 



