26 



LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY. 



Range Outside the British Islands. The Roseate Tern is a 

 maritime species, and is found on most of the coasts of the 

 temperate and tropical portions of the Old and New Worlds. 

 In many of its southern habitats it is only known as a winter 

 visitor, but it also breeds in several of its tropical resorts, 

 such, for instance, being Ceylon, the Andaman Islands, New 

 Caledonia, and the West Indies. It does not range north 

 of 57 N. lat, being, as Mr. Saunders remarks, "merely 

 a straggler to the coasts of the North Sea. It has several 

 colonies on the west side of France, and a few examples have 

 been obtained in the Mediterranean ; while we trace it to the 

 Azores and across the Atlantic by way of the Bermudas to 

 America. There it is found breeding along the east coast 

 from New England to Honduras, and throughout the West 

 Indies, though it has not yet been obtained on the Pacific 

 sea-board." In winter it visits South Africa, the Indian and 

 Australian oceans, and breeds in Northern Australia. Speci- 

 mens from southern localities are often found in full breeding 

 plumage, and we may expect that more nesting-places of the 

 species will yet be discovered. 



Habits. The Roseate Tern is so called on account of the 

 beautiful rosy blush which is seen over the white under parts, 

 a feature which, unfortunately, disappears gradually in preserved 

 specimens, though traces may still be seen in skins which have 

 been in cabinets for years. There is little to say about its 

 habits, which are like those of other Terns, except that it is 

 more exclusively a maritime species than the Arctic or Common 

 Terns. Its note is said to be a somewhat harsh " crake." 



Nest. As with other Terns, there is generally no real nest, a 

 slight hollow in the sand being made for the reception of the 

 eggs, though occasionally a few bits of dried grass form the 

 scanty lining. 



Eggs. Mr. Proud tells me that the eggs are invariably two in 

 number. Seebohm says two or three are found, and Mr. 

 Howard Saunders records instances of four being met with, 

 probably the produce of two females. In general colour the 

 eggs of the Roseate Tern resemble those of the Common Tern, 

 but they are somewhat more elongated, and the markings 

 are smaller and more scattered, the grey underlying markings 



