TERN. NATATORES. STERNA. 479 
it is rarely met with in the north of England or in Scotland. 
On continental Europe, it is very abundant throughout the 
whole of Holland, in many parts of France, and in that por- 
. tion of Hungary which is intersected by lakes and morasses. 
Its food chiefly consists of the larger sorts of water-fly, as 
Libellule, Phryganee, &c., but it also eats the fry of fish, 
and aquatic worms. Its flight is peculiarly buoyant, and has 
been compared to that of Night Jar; the evolutions being 
very rapid, and the turns very abrupt, particularly when 
hawking after its food. Mowracgu, in the Supplement to his 
Ornithological Dictionary, mentions a chace of this bird by 
a Peregrine Falcon, whose repeated pounces it foiled, and 
from whom it ultimately escaped, by the dexterity and singu- 
lar quickness of its manceuvres. 
Pate 91. represents this species in both the Summer and 
Winter Plumage. 
Head and neck entirely black. Breast, belly, and abdo- 
men, deep blackish-grey. Under tail-coverts white. 
Upper plumage and tail deep bluish-grey. Two first 
primary quills having the extremity of the inner web 
edged with white. Bill about the length of the head, 
black. Legs and feet black, with a tinge of red; and 
with the membranes that connect the toes deeply scal- 
loped. 
Crown of the head, and back part of the neck, white. 
The forehead, cheeks, throat, and fore-part of neck, 
pure white. The rest of the plumage as in summer. 
During the time of change, the forehead and throat are 
more or less spotted with black. 
The Young, in addition to the white forehead and throat, 
have all the under plumage of a pure white ; and on 
each side of the breast is a patch of blackish-grey. The 
crown of the head, nape of neck, and mark in front of 
the eyes, are black. Back and scapulars brown, tinged 
LM) 
Food. 
General 
descrip- 
tion. 
Summer 
Plumage. 
Winter 
plumage. 
Young. 
