298 LARID^. 



1837, came under my inspection ; in its stomach were the remains 

 of a sand-eel and other fishes. 



A comparison of the number of arctic terns visiting the coasts* 

 of Ireland and those of Great Britain cannot satisfactorily be 

 made, as much is yet to be learned of the distribution of the 

 species, especially around the latter island. Even on the southern 

 coast of England, on Pevensey Shingle, during May and June, 

 the arctic is more numerous than the common tern."^ This 

 species, like the common and roseate, inhabits the coasts of North 

 America. 



THE WHISKERED TEEN. 



Sterna leucopareia, Natterer, Temm. 

 „ hyhrida, Pallas. 



Has ill one instance been procured, 



And by the gentleman who shot the Sterna leucoptera, to be 

 hereafter noticed.f They both attracted liis attention as rare 

 birds when he was boating in the Bay of Dublin, an amusement 

 to wliich at one period he devoted much of his time : the 

 T ring a rufescens also was obtained by liiin there. 



The specimen of the whiskered tern — which is in adult plumage 

 — came under my notice in the fine collection of rare native 

 bu"ds belonging to T. W. Warren, Esq., of Dublin, in March 

 1847 ; and in the course of that year I noticed it in the 'Annals 

 of Nat. Hist.,' vol. xx. p. 170. 



The following uotes were drawn up from it : — 



in. lin. 



Length (total) about . . . . . . . 10 



„ of wing from carpus to end of quills, about . . 10 



,, of bUl above fr'om forehead to point ... 11 



„ of tarsus, about ....... 010 



„ of outer toe and nail ...... 10 



I'cet considerably larger than in Hierna arctica. 

 * Knox, ' Ornitli. Rambles in Sussex,' p. 245. f Mr. John Hill. 



