NODDY TERN. 
287 
American bird, but ranges southward to breed, Au- 
dubon having met with it in one of the Tortuga*. 
He gives a very interesting account of the colony, 
which was extremely numerous and very tame, ap- 
parently unaccustomed to tlio inroads of plunderers. 
Its manner of breeding is as much at variance with 
that of the truly maritime terns as the last. The 
nest of this species is placed on bushes or low trees 
(nearly on .the ground) which rarely grew taller 
than the party, and therefore the interior of the 
uest could be easily inspected ; it was constructed 
of twigs and dry grass, and a series of old nests 
often were raised into a considerable heap. — We 
have received specimens from the island of Tobago, 
and also from the China seas. Our description is 
from Tobago skins. 
The colouring of the plumage is extremely simple, 
being of a nearly uniform umber-brown, darker on 
the wings and tail, except on the forehead and 
crown, which are yellowish grey shading, above, 
backwards into brown ; bill and legs black. The 
feathers of the tail are broad, and make that member, 
though forked, appear proportionally ample. 
Passing from these terns of less maritime habits, 
and from those where the angle of the mandible 
is. greater, we enter into the typical form of the 
family, or the True Gulls, by means of a series of 
smaller species, more inland in their habits, pos- 
sessing a distinct dark colour, during the breed- 
ing season upon the head, partially insectivorous, 
