12 
allen’s naturalist’s library. 
nape glossy-black, continued into a nuchal cre.st and extending 
acro.ss the upper part of the lores to the base of the nostrils ; 
lower part of the lores, sides of face, and entire under surface 
of body white, including the under wing-coverts and axillaries ; 
“ bill black, occasionally reddish at the base of the lower 
mandible ; tarsi and toes black with a reddish tinge ; iris hazel- 
brown ” {H. Saunders). Total length, i4'5 inches ; exposed 
part of culmen, i-6; wing, 12-5 ; tail, 5-0; tarsus 1-5. 
Adult Female. — Similar to the male, but somewliat smaller and 
the bill not quite so robust. Total length, iq'o inches ; wing, 
I2'0. 
AdiUt in Winter Plumage. — Differs from the summer plumage 
in being slightly paler, the wings more frosted with hoary-grey, 
and the white on the outer tail-feathers more distinct than in 
summer ; crown of head white, the hinder crown narrowly 
streaked with black and mottled with black on the nape ; in 
front of the eye a black spot. 
Young. — Similar to the winter plumage of the adult, but the 
streaks on the head greyish-brown and not so distinct, the 
whole of the grey colour of the upper surface obscured by ashy- 
brown or brownish-buff, the feathers being mottled with a 
sub-terminal bar of darker brown. 
Nestling. — Stone-buff, with black streaks and spots along the 
back and on the head and sides of the crown ; under surface 
of body dull white. 
Characters. — ^These are given under the heading of the 
genus, 
Range in Great Britain. — -The Gull-billed Tern is only an 
accidental visitor to England, having occurred several times in 
spring and summer, principally in Norfolk, but also at different 
places on the south coast, the most northerly occurrences 
having taken place near Blackpool in Lancashire, and near 
I.ecds in Yorkshire. One specimen has been recorded 
from Belfast Lough in Ireland, but having been submitted 
to Mr. Saunders, he found it to be an Arctic Tern ! 
Range outside the British Islands. — In the Old World the Gull- 
