82 
STERNID.E 
NA TA TORES. 
STERINDjE. 
PLATE CCXCI. 
COMMON TERN. 
STERNA HIRUNDO. 
The Common Tem is a periodical visitant in Great 
Britain, and extends over the sea-coast of many countries, 
but not so far north as was formerly supposed, before the 
arctic tern, with which it was confounded, had been noticed 
and described. 
The present species extends only over some parts of 
southern Norway, from whence its place is supplied by 
the arctic tern northward. In Holland this bird is of 
frequent occurrence, as also in France and Switzerland ; 
in the Baltic and in Italy it is less numerous. The locality 
chosen by the Common Tern is a sandy or shingly flat 
by the sea side, or the borders of lakes and rivers ; the 
mouths of rivers, as well as the rivers themselves, are par¬ 
ticularly frequented by them. 
The Common Tern is migratory, arriving in April on 
our coast and departing in September, somewhat sooner 
or later, according to the state of the w’eather, to pass 
the winter months in warmer climates, although it is not 
