The Gulls. 
199 
scattered colonies on most of the shores 
of the British Islands. The habits of the 
Little Tern resemble those of its larger 
brethren, and the nest is a depression in 
the sand, though in some places it 
is surrounded by a ring of shells. The 
eggs measure a little over an inch-and- 
a quarter, but never reach an inch-and- 
a-half in length. The eggs are two, 
seldom three, in number, of a light 
buff or clay-brown, with the blackish 
markings distributed over the egg and 
seldom forming blotches. 
THE 
NODDY TERN. 
(Anous stolidus.) 
The Noddy Tern. 
nearlyflatonthetop. There is only one egg 
guished from the egg of that 
bird by the green colour inside 
when held up to the light ; 
the length is from two inches 
to two-and-three-eighths. 
Sabine’s 
Gull belongs 
to the group 
of fork-tailed 
Gulls. It is a beautiful 
little bird, of a grey colour 
above, which extends over the 
throat, and is separated from 
the white breast by a black 
The uniform 
chocolate -brown 
colour and the grey 
crown render the 
Noddy easily recognisable. Two speci- 
mens have been obtained in Ireland, 
but the species inhabits the tropical 
seas, where it nests on many of the 
islands in large numbers, the nest being 
placed on the ground or on the top of a 
small bush ; it is made of sea-weed and is 
similar to that of the SootyTern, but distin- 
SABINE’S 
GULL. 
(Xenia sabinii .) 
Sabine’s Gull. 
