3G4 THE BIRDS OF DEVOX. 



Mr. Ross mentions another immature example shot on the Exe, August 

 ^oth, but does not saj' in what year. It was probably a young Sandwich 

 Tern. This is another Tern which nests on the coast ot" Denmark, and 

 occasionallj-, but very rarely, visits England. It is a more southern 

 species than the Caspian Tern, and its summer haunts are to be sought 

 chietly in the marshes of the south of Spain, whence the eggs in our 

 collection, taken by Lord Lilford, who kindly presented them to us, were 

 obtained, as also in the south of Greece, Asia Minor, »S:c. In the autumn 

 of 1859 a great multitude of Terns of various species frequented the 

 Barnstaple river, and among those which came into our hands were 

 two in immature plumage which we had a ditficulty in determining, 

 and, from the beaks and she, considered at the time to be young Gull- 

 billed Terns. Unfortunately they were but indifferently preserved, and, 

 becoming infested by moth, had to be destroyed, and we can only record 

 them now with some amount of doubt (Zoo). l^oSJ, p. G701). The only 

 English-killed examples of this Tern in full adult plumage we have ever 

 handled are some fine specimens in the museum at Dover which were 

 shot many years ago cither at liye or Lydd, on the Kentish coast. In 

 size the Gull-billed Tern comes very close to the Sandwich Tern, than 

 which it is only about an inch shorter in length, and is to be known from 

 that species by its short, stout, gull-shaped beak of a dark red colour, 

 aud by its yellowish-brown legs. 



Mr. E. H. Rodd mentions two examples of the Gull-billed Tern, both 

 in full summer plumage, one of them from the Scilly Isles, where it was 

 shot near Tresco Abbey at the end of May or the beginning of June 1852 

 by the Rev. J. Jenkinson, the other from St. Just, near Penzance, on 

 11th July, 1872. The latter bird was a female, whose ovary was full of 

 eggs. Mr. Mansel-rieydell records no instance of its occurrence in 

 Dorsetshire. 



Sandwich Tern. Sfema cantiaca, Gm. 



A casual summer and autumn visitor, of occasional occurrence. 



Dr. E. Moore mentions a pair shot in Plymouth (Trans. Plym. Inst. 

 183U) and one on the Tamar, April 1831 (Mag. Xat. Hist. 1837, p. 3GU). 

 A few come up the estuary of the Exe in some seasons. A flock of adults 

 was seen near Topsham at the beginning of May 1853, and one was shot. 

 AVe saw^ a single bird on June lUth, 1854, just above Topsham, and 

 several were shot on the Exe estuary in the following September in 

 beautiful plumage (W. D'U.). Mr. Ross obtained one at Plymouth, and 

 there are two fine specimens from his collection in the A. M. M., probably 

 shot in 1854 on the Exe. Mr. Cecil Smith secured one at Exmouth, 

 April 12th, 18G7 (Zool. 1867, p. 832). A flight occurred in Plymouth 

 Sound, and one was shot in full breeding-plumage, March 31st, 1870. 

 This Tern is very uncommon near Plymouth, although young birds are 

 sometimes met with ia autumn, but adults rarely (J. G., Zool. 1870, 

 p. 4DU3 ; 1882, p. 64). An immature specimen killed at the Start 



