178 BRITISH BIRDS. 



blushed with red. In other respects they cor- 

 responded so nearly with Mr. Latham's accurate 

 description, that to attempt giving any other is 

 needless. "Length eighteen inches: bill two 

 inches; colour black, with the tip horn colour: 

 tongue half the length of the bill: irides hazel: 

 fore-head, crown, hind-head, and sides above the 

 eyes black: the rest of the head, neck, under parts 

 of the body and tail, white; the back and wings 

 pale hoary lead colour: the first five quills hoary 

 black, the inner webs deeply margined \vith white ; 

 the sixth like the others, but much paler: the rest 

 of the quills like the back: the tail is forked, the 

 outer feathers six inches and a quarter in length; 

 the wings reach beyond it: legs and claws black: 

 the under part of the feet dusky red." " Some spe- 

 cimens have the top of the head dotted with white/' 

 " In young birds the upper parts are much clouded 

 with brown ; and the whole of the top of the head 

 greatly mixed with white: but this is not peculiar, 

 as the young of other Terns with black heads are 

 in the same state." " It is pretty common on the 

 Suffolk and Kentish coasts in the summer months, 

 breeds there in the month of June, is supposed to 

 lay its eggs upon the rocks, and to hatch them about 

 the middle of July." He adds, "Whether these 

 birds only visit us at uncertain seasons, or have 

 hitherto passed unnoticed among other Terns, we 

 know not; but believe that this has not yet been re- 

 corded as a British species." " They generally 

 make their appearance in the neighbourhood of 

 Romney, in Kent, about the middle of April, and 

 take their departure in the beginning of Sep- 

 tember." 



