RICHEL BIRD. 



419 



sects, and is particularly fond of the common house-fly (Musca domes- 

 tical Linn.) ; and I have frequently seen them by the side of large 

 dung-heaps, where those flies breed.* It makes its appearance with us 

 in the latter end of April, or beginning- of May. * Sweet says, in the 

 beginning of March or April, and departs in September. It is said to 

 be found in the fens of Lincolnshire, and the banks of the river Coin, 

 in Buckinghamshire.* 



REED WREN.— A name for the Reed Warbler. 



REEVE.— -A name for the female of the Ruff. 



RICHEL BIRD (Sterna minuta, Linnjeus.) 



Sterna minuta, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 228. 4. — Wilson's Am. Orn. 7. p. 80.— Flem. 

 Br. Anim. p. 144.— Gmel. Svst. 2. p. 608. — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. p. 809. 19.— 



Temm. Man. d'Orn. 2. p. 752 Sterna minor, Briss. 6. p. 206. 2. t. 19. f. 2.— 



Ib. 8vo. 2. p. 416. — Sterna metopoleucos, Gmel. Syst. p. 608. sp. 23. — Larus 

 piscator, Raii, Syn. p. 131. A. 2. — Will. p. 269. II.— La petite Hirondelle de 

 mer, Buff. Ois. 8. p. 337.— Lesser Sea-Swallow, Albin, 2. t. 90.— Will. (Angl.) 

 p. 353. t. 68.— Lesser Tern, Br. Zool. 2. No. 255. t. 90.— Ib. fol. 144. t. L. 2. 



— Arct. Zool. 2. No. 449 Lath. Syn. 6. p. 364. 18.— Lewin's Br. Birds, 6. t. 



205 — Wale. Syn. 1. t. 121.— Don. Br. Birds, 4. t. 96.— Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 

 18 — Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. t. p. 201. — Mont, Orn. Diet, and Supp. 



This is the smallest of the tribe, measuring about eight inches 

 and a half in length ; weight about two ounces. Bill yellow, tipped 

 with black ; irides dusky ; the forehead is white ; the rest of the head 

 above and the nape black ; from the bill to the eye a black streak ; the 

 sides of the head beneath the eyes, the neck, and all the under parts, 

 pure white ; the back, scapulars, and wings, pale grey, darkest on the 

 quills ; tail white ; legs yellow. Great difference exists in this species 

 between the nestling and adult plumage, which will shew the necessity 

 of great caution in ascertaining the several species of this genus. 



The young are seldom capable of flying till the first or second week 

 in July ; at which time the plumage of the upper part is more or less 

 of a pale yellow-brown, intermixed with cinereous ; and on the back 

 and scapulars each feather has an angular bar near the end; on the 

 back of the head the feathers are black tipped with grey ; the quill- 

 feathers are of an elegant cinereous grey, white at the edges, and 

 slightly tipped with yellowish-brown ; the tail is nearly even at the 

 end, almost white, with a dash of cinereous ; in the middle of each 

 feather a dusky spot on each web, and the tips yellowish ; the whole 

 under parts white, the bill dusky, tinged with yellow ; legs dull yellow. 



This elegant little bird has all the habits of the common tern, and 

 breeds in the same place, but is not found in such plenty, although on 

 the coast of Lincolnshire it appears to exceed the other species in num- 

 ber. At Skegness, on that coast, we have found their eggs amongst 

 the shingle ; they were mostly two, sometimes three, in number, placed 

 in a small depression, without any nest, about the size of those of the 



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