28 C1 



t) 



contents itself with picking up what it can in the way of food on the neighbouring shores. Its 

 note is a shrill, somewhat harsh call, resembling the syllables kreeJc or kree; and when many 

 individuals are in the air overhead uttering this shrill creaking note (for they are by no means 

 silent birds), it becomes a confused medley of sounds. 



The food of this Tern consists chiefly of small fishes and aquatic insects and their larvae. 

 Naumann says that it will capture fish up to 1\ inches long, and that it is very partial to 

 Cyprinus alburnus, C. gobio, and Gasterosteus aculeatus, besides feeding largely on the small fry 

 of larger species of fish. 



The eggs of Sterna minuta, usually three, but sometimes two in number, are deposited in a 

 mere depression in the shingle or sand. They are greyish yellow or stone-ochre in colour, some- 

 what sparingly covered with violet-grey shell-markings and blackish brown surface-spots. These 

 markings are usually scattered over the surface of the egg ; but Mr. Benzon informs me that he 

 possesses one which has a very distinct ring round the centre. Eggs in my collection vary in 

 size from 1^- by |^ to l-j§ by f-J inch, and vary considerably in shade of ground-colour, some 

 being stone-grey and others warm deep clay-ochreous. Mr. Benzon gives the average size of 

 those in his collection as 32 - 5 by 23 - 5 millimetres. 



The specimens figured are the adult and the young bird above described, both of which are 

 in my collection. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 



JE Mm. H. E. Dresser. 



a, b,juv. Rye, Sussex, September 18th, 1860 (H. E. D.). c, 6 . Pagham, Sussex, May 28th, 1867 (H. E. D.). 

 d, e, 2,f,juv. Pagham, July 30th, 1870 [R. B. Sharpe). g, S . Schleswig (Schluter). 



E Mus. Lord Tweeddale. 



a, (J. Zoulla, Abyssinia, June 9th, 1868 (Jesse), b. India (Jerdon). c, 2 . Irrawady, August 1874. d. Tong- 

 hoo, April 22nd, 1874 (R. G. War dl aw -Ramsay) . 



2z 2 



