THE ROSEATE TERN. 
273 
On the 13th of June, 1832, the Mew Island was again visited, 
and by shooting at a few of the terns indiscriminately as they 
came within shot, we procured one of the roseate, one of the 
common, and eight of the arctic species. I could distinguish the 
roseate when on wing from the other two by its colour and by 
its note, which (as well observed by Mr. Selby) resembles the 
word crake , uttered in a hoarse grating key. There were many 
of them. Their flight was still more graceful and buoyant than 
that of the other species. When they 
“ Sail upon the bosom of the air,” 
the tail is borne so as to appear pointed ; but is generally beau- 
tifully spread when their nest is approached, and they swoop to- 
wards the intruder in anger. Under similar circumstances, 
hawks of different species have the same habit. I . have ob- 
served terns, too, apparently when not intent on prey, frequently 
pause, kestrel-like, in their flight, and remain with their bodies 
stationary in the air, but flapping their wings very quickly. 
Another tern cries pirrefimm which call the whole genus here 
takes its name : — a third cry is che-eep , cheep , or chip , when ut- 
tered quickly ; but this proceeded from birds so high in the air, 
that their species could not be determined, and I had to remain 
in ignorance whether this was the call of a third, or whether one 
species may not possess the two different calls.* The darker hue 
of the under plumage of 8. arctica is not always so obvious as to 
enable us to distinguish it from 8. hirundo on wing. 
On the 24th of June, 1833, the Mew Island was again vi- 
sited by Mr. William Sinclaire and myself. As in former 
years, we fired at all the terns that came within range, until 
p. 243), with reference to gulls, that “ it is positively asserted by the light-keepers 
as a very extraordinary fact, that they all instinctively return to the South Stack 
during the same night, on or about the 10th of February. * * * In the 
middle of the night they are warned of their arrival by a great noise, as it were a 
mutual greeting and cheering.” In this work, p. 235, the tern is alluded to in a 
very interesting manner, in connection with the “ Narrative of the Loss of the 
Lady Hobart packet.” 
* This would seem to be the cry of the arctic tern, from Audubon’s remark, that 
it resembles “ the syllables creelc , creek ” (vol. iii. p. 369) ; but this call was less 
frequent than pirre, considered that of Sterna hirundo , by no means so numerous as 
the former species here. 
VOL. III. 
T 
