GULLS AND TERNS. 47 



hope of return. The most important breeding- 

 place of this Tern, and certainly the most accessible 

 to the majority of observers, is situated on the 

 famous Fame Islands ; even here the bird is much 

 less common than it used to be. There are small 

 colonies on Walney Island, in Cumberland, in 

 the Solway district, on Loch Lomond, in the 

 Firth of Tay, and on the coast of Elgin. Its 

 only known breeding-station in Ireland is in Co. 

 Mayo. 



The Sandwich Tern reaches the British coasts 

 in April or early in May. But little is seen of this 

 species whilst on passage, for it evidently keeps 

 some distance from shore as a rule, or passes 

 quickly and unobserved. The smaller Terns, for 

 instance, are commonly seen on the coast of South 

 Devonshire in Spring and Autumn, but I cannot 

 recall a single strong migration of the present 

 species in that locality. This Tern is seldom or 

 never seen at any distance from the sea. Most of 

 its waking time is spent in the air, flying about 

 with easy, graceful motion, in quest of its finny 

 prey. The Sandwich Tern, however, is nothing 

 near so graceful looking on the wing as its smaller 

 relatives, the heavier body, broader wings, and 

 much less acutely forked tail giving it a heavier, 

 more cumbersome appearance. Most of its food is 

 obtained whilst it hovers above the sea. The way 

 in which all the Terns feed is very pretty. They 

 poise and hover above their finny victims, and 



