IN THE DUNES 37 



On this June day I sat on the sand within 

 sixty yards of a flock of over a hundred terns 

 that had alighted on the water's edge. It was at 

 once apparent that the birds were preparing to 

 breed, as many of them were engaged in active 

 courtship. As the sexes are alike in plumage one 

 could distinguish the males from the females only 

 by their actions, but these actions were distinc- 

 tive. With short mincing steps a male would 

 strut before a demure female. His puffed out 

 neck and his head were stretched up to the full 

 extent, and his open bill was continually vibrat- 

 ing as he uttered rasping crrrs. His long tail 

 was cocked up between the wings which were ex- 

 tended from the body so that the shoulders stuck 

 out nearly horizontally. At times he side- 

 stepped, at times he pirouetted. Sometimes two 

 or more males were acting thus in a group by 

 themselves, as if each were trying to outvy the 

 others. Sometimes two would fly at each other 

 on the beach like game-cocks and rise and con- 

 tinue the flght in the air. Again a male would 

 return from fishing with a sand-lance drooped 

 from his bill, and, after eluding rivals who 



