immediate inspection from a living bird, and at the same 
time transmitted us the following interesting particulars. 
" The weight of the species is about four ounces ; length 
sixteen inches; breadth, from tip to tip of the wings, 
twenty-four inches ; irides dark ; bill one inch and three- 
quarters long, the base bright orange, the other parts 
of the bill shining black ; feet and legs slender, of the same 
tint as the base of the bill, which colour is quite lost in 
preserving. 
It differs from the Common Tern in the great length of 
the central tail feathers compared with the wings ; also in 
the colour of the tail, (which in this is unsullied white), and 
the breast which is of a fine rose colour ; but the colour of 
the breast is exceedingly fugacious*" 
in a subsequent letter, Dr. M^Dougall says, " since my 
last to you, 1 have had an opportunity to investigate the 
manners of the new Tern I sent you, and find them to be 
very similar to those of the Common Tern. The difference 
in appearance is striking and characterestic : when the sun 
shines powerfully, the roseate colour of the breast may be 
seen at a great distance ; this circumstance, together with 
the peculiar elegance of motion and the great length 
of tail, at once distinguish this bird from all the others 
of the same genus. The Sterna Hirundo is a very 
noisy bird, and when any one approaches its abode, 
thousands assemble over head, screaming Pirr, PeVr, 
which is the name given them by the fishers on our coasts. 
