BLACK TERN. 



HYDROCHELIDON NIGRA (Linn.). 



Sterna nigra, Linn. S. N. i. p. 227 (1766) ; Naum. x. p. 189 ; 



Ueivitson, ii. p. 488. 

 Hydrochelidon nigra, Macg. v. p. 658 ; Yarr. ed. 4, iii. p. 516 ; 



Dresser, viii. p. 327. 



Guifette noire, French; Schivarze See-Schivalbe, German ; 

 Golondrina de mar negra, Charran negro, Spanish. 



This bird, though it formerly bred in abundance in 

 England, has now, from the drainage and reclamation 

 of its favourite marshes, become an irregular and not 

 very common straggler to our country. It was, well 

 within the memory of living man, a regular vernal 

 migrant to many parts of our fen-countries, and was 

 well-known by various local names, e. g. "Blue Darr," 

 " Car-Swallow," " Starn," " Dare," and " Skelper." 

 My acquaintance with this Marsh-Tern in England is 

 confined to having occasionally met with it during its 

 wanderings in Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire, but 

 we found it nesting in great abundance in Southern 

 Spain in company with the Whiskered Tern. As its 

 habits very closely resemble those of that species, and 

 are alluded to in my article thereon in this work, I do 



