The Terns. 
197 
THE 
ARCTIC TERN. 
(Sterna macrura.) 
See p. ig6. 
A slightly smaller species than the Common Tern, and 
having the bill entirely coral-red without any black tip. The 
tarsus is shorter than in the last-named species and does not 
exceed the length of the middle toe without the claw. The 
wings reach to the tip of the tail and the latter does not exceed them. The black 
cap is only assumed during summer, and the winter plumage resembles that of the 
Common Tern. It is a maritime species and is rather more northerly in its nesting- 
range than the Common Tern, and replaces that species in the north of Scotland ; it also 
breeds in Ireland along with S.fluviatilis. It nests in the high north of both the Old 
and New Worlds, and in winter occurs on the coasts of South America and Africa. 
In habits the Arctic Tern does not differ from its ally, and the nest is a depression 
in the shingle or moss, with a little dead grass for a lining in the latter situation 
The eggs are very similar to those of the Common Tern, but are often more spotted ; 
they measure one-inch-and-three-eighths to one-inch-and-three-quarters in length. 
The Roseate Tern. 
The Sandwich Tern. 
THE 
ROSEATE TERN 
( 1 Sterna dougalli.) 
The slender and graceful form of this Sea- Swallow, with the 
black bill, orange only at the base of the mandible, and the rosy 
blush on the breast, distinguish the species from its allies. The 
inner webs of the primaries are also white up to the tips. The 
Roseate Tern used to breed in several localities in England and Ireland, but of late 
years its nesting places have become more restricted, though it occasionally nests on 
the Fames and on the coast of Wales. It breeds in many parts of North America 
and in certain localities in Europe and in the Indian Ocean as well as in Northern 
Australia. It is also found in many of the southern seas in winter. In habits it 
resembles the other Terns and makes a similar depression in the sand for the 
