468 NATATORES. STERNA. TERN: 
COMMON TERN. 
Sterna Hrrunvo, Linn. 
PLATE XC. Fie. 1. 
Sterna Hirundo, Linn. Syst. 1. 227. 2.—Gmel. Syst. 1. 606.—Lath. Ind. Orn. 
2. 807. sp. 15. 
Hirundo marina, Raii Syn. 131. A.— Will. 268. t. 68. 
Sterna major, Briss. Orn. 6. 203. 1. t. 19. fi 1. 
Hirondelle-de-Mer Pierre Garin, Buff: Ois. 8. 331. 27.—Id. Pl. Enl. 987.— 
Temm. Man. d’Ornith. 2. 740. 
Gemeine Meerschwalbe, Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 459. 
Sea Swallow, Albin, 2. t. 88.—Will. (Angl.) 352. 
Greater Tern, Br. Zool. 2. 545. No. 254. t. 90.—Lath. Syn. 6. 261. 14.— 
Lewin’s Br. Birds, 6. pl. 204.—Mont. Orn. Dict. and Sup.—Bewick’s Br. 
Birds, ed. 1826, 2. pt. 185.—Pult. Cat. Dorset. 18.—Low’s Faun. Orcad. 
125. 
Common Tern, Shaw’s Zool. 13. 150. pl. 18.—Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 143. 
No. 235. 
Provincrat—Kirmew, Ficket, Tarney, Pictarne, Rittock, Tarret, 
Spurre, Scraye, Gull Teaser. 
hel rig From the trivial name attached to this species the suppo- 
sition naturally arises that its distribution must be more ge- 
neral throughout our coasts than any of the other Terns. 
This, however, is not the case, as it is of rare occurrence 
upon the whole extent of the eastern shores of the north of 
England and Scotland; where its place seems to be supplied 
by the Arctic and Roseate species. Upon the Fern Islands 
I have never seen more than two or three pairs in a season ; 
and at the Isle of May in the Frith of Forth, and other 
northern resorts of various kinds of sea-fowl, its numbers 
are equally restricted. On the contrary, it visits the oppo- 
site parts of the western coast in large bodies, breeding 
abundantly on certain situations in the Solway, and the 
Frith of Clyde; and is moreover the prevailing species upon 
all the southern coast of England. Its flight rather re- 
sembles that of the Roseate Tern, but it is scarcely so 
buoyant, and has a quicker motion of the wings. Its voice 
is harsh, but easily to be distinguished from those of the 
