LITTLE TEEN. 



STERNA MINUTA, Linn. 



Sterna minuta, Linn. S. N. i. p. 228 (1766) ; Naum. x. p. 145 ; 

 Macg. v. p. 652; Hewitson, ii. p. 484 ; Yarr. ed. 4, iii. 

 p. 558 ; Dresser, viii. p. 279. 



Sterne naine, French ; Zwerg-Seeschwalbe, German j 

 Charranchico, Catalinita, Monchela, Spanish. 



This exceedingly graceful bird is a summer visitor to 

 the coasts and lakes of Great Britain and Ireland, 

 generally arriving early in May, and taking its departure 

 in September. In all its habits the Little Tern closely 

 resembles the Common Tern or " Sea-Swallow ; ?i but I 

 never met with the present species in its breeding- 

 haunts in such numbers as I frequently have in the 

 case of the former bird. On an unfrequented stretch 

 of sandy coast, that I will not particularize, I many 

 years ago found a considerable number of Little Terns 

 breeding. No nest is made, and the eggs, of which I 

 consider three as the average full complement, are very 

 difficult to discover till the eye becomes accustomed to 

 distinguish them by their shape from the mottled 

 pebbles amongst which they are generally layed. The 



