SANDWICH TERN. 
274 
cross the ground without breaking the eggs or in- 
juring the unfledged young.’’ Further up the Firth 
the colonies are not so numerous, but their habits 
are similar. At loiv water the birds which are not 
incubating rest on the sandbanks; they will not 
suffer a near approach, but rise in a silver cloud 
and fly towards the intruder with great clamour and 
angry demonstrations ; and if one can be secured, 
they will approach very near, hovering over it. 
Immediately on seeing any person or animal with 
which they are unacquainted, they commence vent- 
ing their harsh and wild screams, and small parties, 
flying noiselessly along, betray themselves by their 
calls as soon as the stranger is perceived. 
The forehead, crown, and occiput, where the fea- 
thers are lengthened and almost form a pendent crest, 
are black, more or less spotted with white, which 
appears very seldom to go entirely off. The under 
plumage and back of the neck white, with a greater 
or less degree of rosy tint in different specimens ; 
mantle and wings grey, quills blackish grey, the 
inner half of the inner w T ebs white, shafts strong, 
yellowish white ; rump, upper tail-covers, and tail, 
white ; bill, legs, and feet, black, former with the 
tip straw-yellow. In winter the crown and fore- 
head are described to be white, the occiput black 
feathers tipped with white. The young are above 
pale wood-brown, transversely barred with brocoli- 
browu ; white below ; the tail greyish black in the 
centre. 
