THE SANDWICH TERN. 269 



28th of July, 1838, a Sandwich tern, in full plumage, with seve- 

 ral redshanks, and about twenty dunlins, were killed at the same 

 shot (from a swivel-gun) in Belfast Bay, opposite "The Grove." 



Its length from point of bill to extremity of tail is 151 inclies (wings extend 

 nearly an inch beyond the tail) ; bill above from forehead to point, 1 inch lli lines ; 

 from rictus to point, 2 inches 9 lines ; tai'sus 1 inch 1 line ; middle' toe and nail 

 measured in a straight line, 1 inch; carpus to end of longest quill (the first) lli inches; 

 tibia bare for i inch ; outer tail-feathers 9 lines longer than second pair ; breadth 

 •of wings extended, 2 feet 7 inches. The colour was that of the summer plumage, 

 as described by iSIontagu, in every particular but one, none of the primaries being 

 tipped with black, as in his specimen, but instead, being throughout of a uniform 

 tint ; inside of the biU ycUow, 



The fowler who killed this bird saw fourteen Sandwich terns 

 (which, from their size, black bills and legs, he at once recog- 

 nized to be of the same species as the former one) together in the 

 bay, on the 3rd or 4tli of September, 1839. So tame were they, 

 that he and another person on board a dredging vessel remarked, 

 when relating the circumstance, that from its deck they could 

 have brought down the terns with whips, but their only offensive 

 weapon was the sand on board, with which they pelted them ! On 

 the 23rd of September, 184-4, an adult bird was seen at the quay 

 of Belfast, where, perched on one of the mud-lifting scoops, it 

 admitted of a very near approach. These facts respecting the 

 tameness of the birds may seem too trivial, but they indicate that 

 the locality from which they came has been little visited by man. 

 One of these terns, sent from Portafcrry, Strangford Lough, to 

 BeKast, for preservation, on the 16th of August 1844, was 

 probably shot in that neighbourhood. 



The following notes relate to the occurrence of the Sandwich 

 tern on the Dublin coast. In October (?) 1831, one was shot at 

 Clontarf ; on the 29th of July, 1834, I saw two specimens — an 

 adult and a young one (-S'. striata, Lath.) — which were shot that 

 day by T. W. Warren, Esq., at the locaHty just named, on the 

 borders of the bay. On one day in the month of September 1837, 

 this gentleman saw at least a dozen Sandwich terns near Howth. 

 On the 11th of May, 1842, one was seen on Dollymount strand, 

 in the same quarter. 



