280 



Young (Rye, Sussex, 18th September). Crown brownish giey marked with black, becoming black on the 

 nape and on the mark through the eye ; upper parts dull French grey, the feathers margined with 

 blackish brown, outside of which is a narrow white margiu; tail as in the adult, but shorter, and 

 slightly marked with blackish grey at the tip ; quills as in the adult ; underparts pure white. 



The range of this, the least of our European Terns, is not so extensive as that of some of its 

 allies : it is met with throughout Temperate Europe, occurring in winter on the coast of West 

 Africa as far as the Cape of Good Hope ; and it is also found in "Western Asia. 



In Great Britain it is found here and there on the coasts, breeding much more plentifully 

 on the east side than elsewhere ; and it is met with during the nesting-season in a few scattered 

 localities from the south coast of England to the Orkneys. I used to see it not unfrequently in 

 various parts of the south coast of England ; and it is common in parts of the east coast. 

 Mr. Cordeaux says that it nests annually at Spurn Point, but in greatly reduced numbers, and 

 he has met with it in the summer near Skegness, where it is nearly extinct. It arrives at Spurn 

 in May, and leaves in October. Mr. Robert Gray says that it is generally distributed on both 

 the east and west coasts of Scotland, though not numerous in any one locality. Baikie and 

 Heddle state that it is often observed on Sanday, one of the Orkney Islands ; but Dr. Saxby does 

 not record it from Shetland. In Ireland it is recorded by Thompson as a summer visitant, 

 breeding on different parts of the coast. 



I do not find any record of its occurrence in Norway beyond a note by Mr. Collett stating 

 that two are said to have been shot by Mr. Siebke outside Jsederen in the autumn of 1864; but 

 Nilsson says that it is not rare on the southern coasts of Sweden, being most frequently seen on 

 the sand dunes near the coast, as, for instance, on Skanors-lj ung, at Lomma, Kullen, &c. ; and it 

 also occurs in Halland ; but he did not observe it further north, and if it does occur in Bohuslan 

 it must be very rare. Mr. Wallengren saw it on Gottland. So far as I can ascertain, it has not 

 been obtained in Finland ; but, according to Dr. Palmen, Mr. Falck states that he once saw this 

 bird on the little lake of Pyhajarvi. It does not occur far north in Russia; and I am informed 

 by Mr. Sabanaeff that it is much rarer in Central Russia than the Black Tern, though it is more 

 numerous in tbe Riazan and Tamboff Governments. 



On the southern shores of the Baltic it breeds either in scattered colonies or occasionally in 

 company with the common Tern, and nests also in suitable localities on the banks of some of the 

 rivers ; but Borggreve says that it seldom, if ever, occurs on the inland lakes. Gloger says that 

 it is found on the Oder : it is common near Danzig. Baldamus records it from the Elbe, Von 

 Negelein from the Weser; and it is found on the Rhine in the summer season. Kjaerbolling 

 says that it arrives in Denmark about the middle of May and leaves again late in July or early 

 in August, and breeds in many places on the coast, as, for instance, Lseso, Rodsand, Hirtsholmen, 

 Agerso, Muusholm, Saltholm, &c, and on the west coast, where it is most numerous. Mr. A. 

 Benzon, of Copenhagen, also informs me that it is tolerably common on most parts of the Danish 

 coast, and is numerous at Isefjord, on the north coast of Seeland, on the islands of the Cattegat, 

 and along the west coast of Jutland. Baron von Droste-Hiilshoff says that a few breed on the 

 island of Borkum, but none on Rottum, and it is by no means a common species in East 

 Friesland. 



Degland and Gerbe say that it occurs regularly on passage on the northern coasts of France 



