106 TERN. 



9— SANDWICH TERN. 



Sterna Boysii, Ind. Orn. ii. 806. 



— — Cantiaca, Gm. Lin. i. 606. Lin. Trans, xiii. 329. 



.^— — media, rostro, pedibus, et occipite nigro, Gerin. v. t. 545. 



Cantiaca, Hirondelle de Mer, Caugek, Tern. Man. 479. Id. Ed. 2d. 735. 



■ Petto bianca dicta, Gerin. v. t. 546. 



Greater Sea Swallow, Albin, ii. pi. 88. 



Sandwich Tern, Gen. Syn. vi. p. 356. Id. Sup. p. 266. Boy's Sandwich, ii. pi. p. 851. 



Lewin, vi. pi. 203. Id. xxxviii. f. 2. the egg. Bewick, ii. pi p. 204. Walcot,\. 



pi. 120. Donov. t. 120. Br. Zool. 1812. ii. p. 200. Orn. Diet. $ Supp. 



LENGTH eighteen inches; extent of wing thirty-three inches; 

 weight thirteen ounces. Bill two inches long, black, with the tip 

 yellowish horn-colour; tongue half the length of the bill ; irides 

 hazel ; forehead, crown, hindhead, and sides above the eye, black ; 

 the feathers of the nape elongated ; the rest of the head, neck, under 

 parts of the body, and tail white ; back and wings hoary lead-colour ; 

 the first five quills hoary black; the inner webs deeply margined 

 with white ; the sixth like the others, but much paler; the rest of the 

 quills like the back ; tail forked ; the exterior feathers six inches 

 and a quarter long, striped with cinereous on the outer web ; the 

 wings reach rather beyond it; legs and claws black ; under part 

 of the feet red ; the fore part of the neck and breast, in some, 

 delicately and faintly blushed with red. 



In those approaching to the adult state, the top of the head is 

 dotted with white. In young birds, of immature feather, the upper 

 parts are much clouded with brown, and the whole top of the head 

 greatly mixed with white ; but this is not peculiar, as the young of 

 some other Terns, with black heads, are so marked. 



This species is pretty common on the Coasts of Kent during the 

 summer months, appearing first about Romney, the middle of April, 

 and departing the beginning of September ; it has a shorter scream 



