TER 
I'tje is two Inches longer than the others, and 
clofed in flying, fo as to refemble only one llender 
feather. 
Thefe birds frequent the fea-fhores, banks of 
lakes and rivers. They feed on fmall fifh and 
water- infefts, hovering over that element, and 
fuddenly darting into it in quefl: of their prey. 
They breed among fmall tufts of rufhes ; and 
lay three or four eggs, of a dull olive-colour, 
fpotted with black. All of this genus are very 
clamorous. 
Tern, Lesser ; the Larus Minuta of Lin- 
njEus. The length of this fpecies is only eight 
inches and a half; and the breadth fomewhatmore 
than nineteen. The bill is yellow, tipt with 
black ; the forehead and cheeks are white ; a black 
line extends from the eyes to the bill; the top and 
hind part of the head are black; the bread and un- 
der-fide of the body are covered with feathers fo 
clofely arranged, of fuch an exquifitely rich glofs, 
and fo pure a white colour, that the moft beauti- 
ful fattin cannot vie with it. The back and wings 
are of a pale grey hue ; the tail is fhort, white, 
and forked; the legs are yellow; and the irides 
are duflcy. 
Both this and the great Tern feem too delicate 
to endure the inclemency of the weather on our 
coafts during winter; fo.- they are obferved to 
quit their breeding-places at it's approach, and 
not to return till the fpring. 
The Leffer Terns frequent the fame places as 
the great; but are far lefs numerous than the lat- 
ter. 
Tern, Black:; the Sterna Fifllpes of LinnfEus. 
This bird is of a middle fize between the great 
and the leffer Tern: it's ufual length is ten in- 
ches; and the expanfion of it's wings is twenty- 
four. The head, neck, bread, and belly, as far 
as the vent, are black; and beyond^ white. The 
male has a white fpot under his chin. The back 
and wings are of a deep alh-colour; the tail is 
fhort and bifid; the exterior feather on each fide 
is white; the others areaih-coloured; and the legs 
and feet are of a dufky red hue. 
Ray denominates this fpecies the cloven-footed 
gull, as the webs are deprefied in the middle, and 
form a crefcent. The black gulls frequent frefh 
waters ; breed on their banks; and lay three fmall 
eggs of a deep olive-colour, much fpotted with 
black. They are found, during fpring and fum- 
mer, in prodigious flocks, in the Lincolnfhire 
fens; where tliey feed on flies, water infedts, and 
fmall fifli; and emit a continual fcream. 
Birds of this fpecies are feen at a great diftance 
from land. Kalm faw large flocks of them in the 
middle of the Atlantic ocean; and a later voyager 
aflTured Mr. Pennant, that he perceived one in the 
fame ocean, at the diftance of two hundred and 
fifty leagues from the Lizard. 
Tern, Surinam. This bird, which is about 
the fize of a thrufl-i, feeds on flies, is often domef- 
ticated, and is remarkable for the continual agita- 
tion of it's head and body. The crown of the 
head is black, adorned with a pendent creft; and 
from the angle of each eye extends a white line. 
The cheeks are of a bright bay colour; the neck 
is marked on the fides and hind part with longi- 
tudinal lines of black and white ; and the wings, 
back, and tail, are dufky, the laft being tipt with 
. white, and always fpread. The breafl; is white; 
the legs are flaort and thick ; and the toes are pal- 
iTiated, and barred wkh black and white. 
t E T 
TERNATE. An appropriate appellation by 
which fome authors exprefs a fpecies of bat. See 
Bat. 
TESTACEA. A denomination by which 
Linnsus expreflTes the third order of the vermes, 
or worms : the chara£lers of which are ; that they 
are animals of the mollufca or foft kind, of a fim- 
ple make, and comm.only covered with a calca- 
reous habitation. 
This order includes the whole tribe of fhells, 
confiding of more than eight hundred fpecies, 
comprehended under thirty-fix genera. 
TESTACEOUS. An epithet by which na- 
turalids exprefs fuch fifli as are covered with a 
ftrong, thick fliell ; as oyders, pearl-fifh, and 
others. 
Striftly, however, Tedaceous is only applied to 
fifli whofe drong and thick fhells are entire : 
thofe which are thin, foft, and compofed of feve- 
ral parts united by joints, as the lobder, are more 
properly denominated crudaceous. 
TESTUDO. A clafllcal name for the tor- 
toife. See Tortoise. 
TETHYS. A genus of naked fea-infefts; 
the bodies of which are formed, as it were, of two 
lips, with an oblong cartilaginous body between 
them. They have four tentacula, fliaped like 
ears ; and there are two perforations in mod kinds 
near the tentacula. Elill enumerates ieveral fpe- 
cies of this genus. 
In the Linnasan fyftem, the Tethys is a genus 
of the mollufca order of worms : the characters of 
which are ; that the body is oblong, flefliy, and 
without feet; the mouth terminates in a cylin- 
dric probofcis under the lip ; and there are tvw'o 
foramina at the left fide of the neck. Linnseus 
mentions only two fpecies. 
TETIMIXIRA. An American appellation 
for a fifh more generally denominated pudiano. 
TETRADIS. A name by which Linkius 
expreflTes a fpecies of dar-fifli with only four rays ; 
the more common kinds havins; five. 
TETRAO. A genus of birds in the Linnsean 
fydem of the order of gallinse; the diftinguifhing 
chara6ler of which is, that they have a naked 
fpot near the eyes, full of flefiiy tubercles. Of 
this genus there are tv/enty fpecies ; among v/hich 
are the groufe, partridge, quail, and ptarmigan. 
TETRAODON. "A genus of the amphibia 
nantes in the Linnsean fydem : the characters of 
which are; that the maxillse are bony, extended, 
and bipartite at the apex; the aperture is linear; 
the lower part of the body is full of prickles ; and 
it has no vertical fins. Of this genus there are 
feven fpecies, feveral of which Artedi has referred 
to his genus of odracion. The mola, or fun- 
fifh, belongs to this tribe. 
TETRAX. A bird of the otis or budard 
kind ; called by fome anas campedris, or the 
field-duck ; and by others canna. 
This fowl, which is very plentiful in France, is 
about the fize of the pheafant, and has a beak 
like that of the common hen. The belly is white ; 
and the back is variegated with grey, red, and 
black. It feeds on vegetables and iniefts ; runs 
very fwiftly ; and is ufually taken with nets. 
TETTiGOMETRA. An appellation by 
which the ancients exprefied the nymph of the ci- 
cada, or tettyx. 
TETTIGONIA. A name given by the an- 
cients to the fmaller fpecies of cicada, the larger 
being denominated acheta. 
