STERNA FLUVIATILIS. 
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the coasts of Sicily and Italy in the spring, remaining in Sardinia throughout the summer. It breeds in 
Transylvania, and is found northward to the Baltic sea, remaining on the Rhine from May until August. In 
Denmark it is abundant, and it follows the coasts of Sweden to Uleaborg at the head of the Gulf, where 
Mr. Dresser found it abundant. Along the coasts of Norway it is distributed as far north as Lofoten ; and it 
has occurred once in Iceland, though not in the Faroes or in Shetland. It is abundant in Holland in the 
breeding-season, and is a regular summer visitant to England, Ireland, and Scotland, breeding at Dungeness, 
Ramsay Island, and the Fame Islands, Foulney Island, and on Strangford Lough. In France it is common, 
breeding in Picardy and on the Loire. In Spain it is abundant, and breeds on the coast on the Mar Menor, 
which Mr. Saunders considers as its southern breeding-limit. It likewise occurs in Portugal, and extends to 
the Atlantic isles, breeding in the Azores, the Canaries, and Madeira. Along the north coast of Africa it is 
found from Morocco to Egypt, where it occurs in winter and spring. Von Ileuglm says it is seen throughout 
the year in the delta ; but he never noticed it on the Red Sea. It extends to the Cape of Good Hope, most 
probably by the way of the west coast, as it has been recorded from Sencgambia. Layard found it at all times 
of the year at the Cape, and Mr. Gurney mentions an instance of its occurrence in Natal. 
Finally, in America it is found all down the Atlantic coasts from Labrador to Texas in spring and autumn, 
collecting in the latter place in summer, and breeding on the islands in Galveston Bay. 
Habits . — This well-known Tern has much the same mode of living as the Gull-billed Tern, frequenting 
bays, harbours, estuaries, backwaters, and likewise lakes and rivers far inland. It is active and buoyant on 
the wing, and associates in moderately-sized flocks, which fish in close company with other species ; and while 
following a “ school” of fish, or hovering over and plunging into a school of sardines or other small fry, it is, 
like the Crested Terns, very noisy, continually giving out its note as it plunges headlong into the living mass, 
and in its excitement scarcely waits to swallow its prey before darting again into the water. They are fond of 
flying about the bars of rivers on the watch for fish crossing the shoal water ; and a favourite spot at frinco- 
malie for them, as well as for other species, was the corner of Back Bay and the north side of the Fort, for 
here the sardines collected in enormous shoals, and furnished them abundance of food. When the strong 
south-west winds set in in April, blowing off the land, these and other Terns used to appear in greater numbers 
than at other times. It is not at all shy, pouncing on fish close to a boat, or near people who may happen 
to be bathing or fishing. When hovering over fish (which they are much in the habit of doing) they give 
utterance to a metallic-sounding twink, by which I could always identify them at no little distance. This 
piping note is quite different from that of any other Tern frequenting Ceylonese waters. In an interesting 
account given by Macgillivray of their habits in Great Britain, this author attributes an inquisitive propensity 
to them, such as is very noticeable in the Gull-billed Tern. He says, “ When walking along the sandy shore, no 
bird nearer, perhaps, than a quarter of a mile, you may see one or two of them coming up from a distance, 
increasing their cries as they approach, then wheeling and plunging over and around you, and at length flying 
off.” He likewise asserts that they often alight on the water and swim a little ; but this I have never seen 
them do. When tired of fishing in Ceylon they rest on the sea-beach in little groups of three or four. I have 
found their food to consist entirely of fish ; but they are said to eat sand-eels, small crustaceans, &c. 
Mr. Gurney, jun., gives an interesting account, communicated to Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser, of a pair of 
these Terns which were tamed by a taxidermist at Stockton-on-Tees, and which used to come to his call or 
whistle as they flew about his house. 
Nidification. — The Common Tern breeds in May and June, either making an apology for a nest in the 
shape of a little depression lined with a few dry grasses, or laying its eggs upon dry drift grass or salt marsh. 
In sand Macgillivray says that they make a depression without any lining ; and the situations they generally 
choose are sandy tracts or pebbly ridges on the shore, rocky ground, or sometimes low rocks. The eggs are 
guall three i n number, and are of a dull clay-buff, olivaceous stone, pale greenish, and brownish-buff ground- 
colour and in shape are pointed ovals, well rounded at the obtuse end. One specimen in the series before me, 
in the possession of Mr. Dresser, is uniform dull white, and measures only L56 by 112 inch. The markings in 
general consist of large blotches of deep (blackish) sepia, which, on the boldest-coloured, are chiefly collected 
