SANDWICH TERN. 
449 
ProvinciaL — Killileepie. Sand Lavrock. Sand Lark. 
The weight of this species is about two ounces ; length seren inches 
and a half ; irides dusky ; the bill is brown, an inch and a quarter long, 
and slender ; the head, back of the neck, and whole upper parts, as well 
as the sides of the breast, light brown, of a glossy greenish hue on the 
back and scapulars, streaked down the shaft of each feather with a 
narrow dusky line ; the wing coverts with minute undulated lines ; the 
cheeks and throat of a light colour ; over the eye a whitish streak ; 
breast and belly white ; thighs brown ; quills brown, with a white spot 
on their inner webs, except the first ; the four middle feathers of the 
tail like the back, with fine transverse lines of dusky, outer one 
white, with brown bars, the intermediate ones either tipped or spotted 
white on their margins; legs brown. The Sandpiper visits this 
country in the spring, and chiefly frequents our lakes and rivers, on 
the borders of which it makes a nest, composed of moss and dry leaves, 
which is most commonly placed in a hole in the bank. It lays four or 
five eggs of a dirty white, marked with dusky and cinereous spots, most 
at the larger end. When disturbed, it makes a piping noise as it flies ; 
and when running on the ground, the tail is constantly in motion. 
Great numbers breed on the banks of the lakes in Scotland. In the 
autumn these birds are very much infested with a bird fly {Hippohosca 
Hirundinis^ It is probable many of the Sandpipers are capable of 
swimming, if by accident they wade out of their depth. Having shot 
and winged one of this species as it was flying across a piece of water, 
it fell, and floated towards the verge ; and, as we reached to take it uj), 
the bird instantly dived, and we never saw it rise again to the surface ; 
possibly it got entangled in the weeds and was drowned. Other species 
we have known which, when wounded and having fallen into the water, 
make way on the surface with their legs, and do not drown like land birds 
in general. It is known in some places by the name of summer snipe. 
It is found in most parts of Europe, even as far north as Siberia. 
SANDWICH TERN (^Sterna Boysii, Latham.) 
Sterna Boysii, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. p. 806. 10. — Sterna cantiaca, Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 
606. 15. — Temrn. Man. d’Orn. 2. p. 735. — Sterna Africana, Lath, Ind. Orn. 2. 
p. 805. 5. — Sterna striata, Ib. 2. 807. 11. — Sandwich Tern, lb. Syn. 6. p. 356. 
— Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp Flem. Br. Anim. p. 142. — Bewick’s Br. Birds, 
2. p. 204. — Boys’ Sandwich, p. 851. 
This is the largest of the British species. Length about eighteen 
inches ; the bill is black ; irides dusky ; the upper part of the head and 
nape, taking in the eyes, is black ; the rest of the head, neck, under 
parts of the body, and tail, white ; back, scapulars, and wings, cinereous 
grey ; the first five or six prime quills are hoary black on the outer 
G G 
