624 
THE ROSEATE TERN. 
are rather new species, not familiar to the general reader, as, indeed, is the case with several 
others, all of which we indicate, as it is thought desirable to keep a general view of all the 
American species, though we may not find it desirable to add any considerable details. Other 
species inhabiting North America are the Mew, Heerman’s Gull, Laughing Gull, Franklin’s 
Gull, Bonaparte’s, Ross’s, Sabine’s, and Swallow-tail. 
The Laughing Gull is very common on our South Atlantic and Gulf shores, where it has 
a habit of chasing the pelicans and causing them to share food with them. 
The name of Scissor-bill (. Rhynchops nigra\ is very appropriately given to this species. 
This remarkable Gull has a long and much -compressed beak, the lower mandible being 
much longer than the upper, rather flatter, and shutting into the upper like a knife-blade into 
the handle. The Scissor-bill is found along the coast of America and part of Africa. This 
is also called the Black Skimmer, or Cut-water, from its remarkable shears-like bill. It is 
seen off the Jersey coast and southward. The singular bill is the only unusual feature. From 
its habit of scooping its bill along the surface of the sea for its food, it is called Skimmer. 
TERNS. 
The common Tern, or Sea Swallow, is very plentiful on our coasts, and may be seen 
flying along on rapid wing, its long forked tail giving it so decidedly a swallow-like air, that 
its popular name of Sea Swallow is well applied. 
Another rather celebrated species of Tern is the Noddy ( Anous stolidus). 
This bird is spread over many portions of the world. It often alights on vessels by night, 
and as it does not see well except in daylight, suffers itself to be easily caught. This habit 
has sometimes had a most providential effect, and saved the lives of sailors adrift in a boat 
without provisions. 
Among several other species of Terns may be mentioned the Sooty Tern {Sterna fuli- 
ginosa ), sooty-black above, and white below ; the Lesser Tern ( Sterna minuta ), a very small 
species, only eight or nine inches in length ; the Caspian Tern {Sterna caspia\ a fine species, 
twenty inches long ; the Roseate Tern {Sterna paradisea), remarkable for the rosy- white 
hue of its under surface ; and several other species, all resembling each other in habits and 
general form. 
