112 TERN. 



crammed with them. The bill is shorter than in the Common Tern, 

 and thicker; the tail shorter, and much less forked; and as these 

 birds are not found to associate with others, may be considered as a 

 new Species. This resembles the Gull-billed so much, as to lead us 

 to suppose it is allied ; M. Temminck considers it to be the same. 



1 8. - GULL-BILLED TERN. 



Sterna Anglica, Gull-billed Tern, Orn. Diet. Sup. ii. pi. in ditto. 

 Hirondelle-de-Mer Hansel, Tern. Man. Ed. 2d. 744. 



SIZE of the Sandwich Species. Bill half an inch long, thick, 

 strong, and angulated on the under mandible, like the bill of a 

 Gull, and black ; upper part of the head, including the eyes, black, 

 but extends farther down the back of the head, and part of the neck, 

 than in the Sandwich Tern, with two or three white feathers mixed 

 on the crown; general plumage on the upper part of the body 

 cinereous; the quills are hoary, the first five, for an inch or more, 

 black ; tail much the same, the outer feather on each side white ; 

 legs two inches long, rufous black ; toes longer than in the Sandwich 

 Species, especially the middle one ; claws straight. 



This has been in general confounded with the Sandwich Tern, 

 and at first sight, may be taken for that bird. Colonel Montagu, 

 however, who has had opportunity of comparing several specimens, 

 assures us, that the two are perfectly distinct. One was formerly 

 sent to me for the young of the Sandwich Tern ; and others have 

 been met with in Sussex, and particularly about Rye: ours, we 

 believe, was killed near Sandwich, in Kent. 



A. — Sterna, affinis, Lin. Trans, xm. p. 129. 



This is white ; the back and wing coverts greyish lead-colour ; 

 quills hoary, within brownish.— Inhabits Java. 



