ZOOLOGY. 91 



one day. This was on the 15th of May, at which time the 

 eggs were within a few days of hatching. 



From the diminutive size and backward position of the 

 feet, this bird is unable to walk in the ordinary mode, but 

 resting its breast upon the ground, and partially spreading 

 its wings, it contrives to shuffle from place to place in a 

 peculiar and awkward manner. Audubon has described 

 the tarsi and hind toe of this bird as being yellow ; but in 

 the many specimens which I have examined, these parts 

 were of a dead white, tinted with light blue. 



The general length of this bird, including the tail feathers, 

 is from twenty-eight, to thirty-three inches. Many speci- 

 mens are found with one elongated feather only in the tail ; 

 these, of course, are imperfect. The male bird is deeply 

 tinged with a beautiful carmine, or roseate hue. 



EosEATE Teen {Sterna Dougallii). The eggs and young 

 of this bird have been obtained at Gurnet Head, or Black 

 Eock, on the 1st of August, from which I infer that it rears 

 two broods in the season. It is not met with during the 

 winter months. 



Common Teen {S. hirundo). This species breeds on the 

 Gurnet-Head Eock, forming a social community with the 

 roseate tern. A friend who visited that rock in the middle 

 of August, assured me that he found it teeming with terns 

 and their young. 



These birds are invariably called "redshanks," in the 

 Bermudas, from the colour of their legs. The young, how- 

 ever, have the bOl and feet black, or dark brown, the red 

 colour not appearing for some time. 



Sooty Teen (S. fuliginosa). A very beautiful fuU 

 plumaged specimen of this tern was presented to me on 



