? 44 



The Museum Gazette 



be seen. These may always be distinguished by their mottled 

 brown plumage, for it is only when fully adult (and after 

 several years in some cases) that the pure white and grey 

 dress of maturity is gained. The aerial gambols of these 

 pretty birds afford constant pleasure and amusement to the 

 seaside visitor. Gulls are par excellence the birds of the seaside. 

 Their persistent following of the shoals of fish, their attend- 

 ance at the quays and harbours where boats are unloading 

 fish, their assembling in large flocks on the bare sands and 

 reefs at low water — are all of interest, and lend that touch 

 of life to the shore which impresses itself on even the most 

 casual observer. 



From time to time in August, too, flocks of Terns may be 

 watched just off shore, leisurely making their way southwards 

 with their young from the northern breeding stations. Terns 

 are smaller than Gulls, more slender in appearance, with 

 longer and forked tails, the outer feathers being very narrow 

 and much elongated, like those of a Swallow. These birds 

 obtain their food in a different way from the Gulls. The 

 latter hover above the water and swoop down upon an object 

 or flutter above it until it is seized ; but the Terns poise and 

 hover like a Kestrel, and every now and then drop like a stone 

 into the sea to secure a tiny fish. Their shrill clicking notes 

 are also very characteristic. Five species breed in our islands, 

 and of these the Sandwich Tern 1 is the largest, and its tail is 

 not so long or so acutely forked. The Common Tern 2 is dis- 

 tinguished from the Arctic Tern 3 by its white underparts ; in 

 the latter these are grey, as is the mantle of both, whilst each 

 has a black hood. The Roseate Tern 4 is too local to require 

 more than passing notice here, but may be identified by its 

 roseate under surface and white inner margins to the pri- 

 maries. The Lesser Tern has already been noticed. All the 

 Terns spend most of their time in the air, seldom walking. 

 They all have remarkably short tarsi, and all are migratory. 



1 Sterna cant tacit. 2 Sterna himndo. 3 Sterna arctica. 



1 Sterna dougalli. 



