454 
the Hiftory of A N I M A L S. 
STERNA. 
r-jf^H E beak of the Sterna is of a Tabulated figure, and acute: it is comprefled at 
JL the extremity, and has no denticulations along the fides: the feet do not Hand 
fo backward as in many of the water-birds, but it walks conveniently with them. 
Sterna reElricibus extimis maximis dimidiato-albis mgrifque . 
the Sterna , with the largefl outer tail feathers half blacky 
and half white . 
This is a very beautiful bird, and it’s figure is very lingular; it is equal in length 
nearly to the jack-daw, but it is very Tender, and the body, when Tripped of the 
feathers, is very fmall: the head is fmall, rounded at the top, but fomewhat com¬ 
preffed at the fides: the beak is moderately long, and almoft ftraight, but it is Tender 5 
it is red all the way, except at the tip or extremity, where it is black : the mouth is 
red on the infide, and the tongue is pointed. 
The head is black on the upper part, but white on the fides, and on the under: 
the throat, the belly, and the feathers which cover the under part of the wings are 
white, but the middle of the breaft has fome grey in it: the rump is white; the back 
and the upper part of the wing are of a dufky grey : the wings are long, and their prin¬ 
cipal feathers have a great deal of whitifh in them, but they are variegated with 
black r the tail is long and forked it is from this that the bird has obtained with us 
the name of the Sea-fwallow : the whole is compofed of twelve feathers; the outer 
ones of thefe are fix or feven inches in length ; their outer edge is of a greyifh-black, 
the middle ones are hardly three fingers long, and are totally white $ the others have 
their outer edge grey, and the inner white. 
This fpecies is frequent about our fea-coafts in many places j they ufually Ty in vaft 
companies, and, when they build their nefts, are placed in vaft numbers clofe to one 
another, and they feem to bring up their young almoft in common. They lay three, 
or fometimes four, eggs, and their nefts are very careleffly formed of a few pieces of 
reed, laid irregularly together; and fometimes there is no neft at all, but the eggs 
are laid on the naked ground. They Ty very fwiftly, and feed on the wing. They 
are continually hovering at a fmall diftance over the furface of the water j and, when 
they fee any little fifh in reach, they throw therafelves precipitately down upon it. 
They will plunge under water after their prey, and in this fituation they often become 
themfelves a prey to fome larger fifh ; if they efcape this fate, they are up again in 
an inftant, and very feldom fail to bring up the fifh with them. 
The length of the wing, and fhortnefs of the feet in this bird, added to it’s forked 
tail, and it’s being almoft continually feen Tying, have obtained it the name of the Sea- 
fwallow with us, and of Hirundo marina among authors. Gefner calls it Sterna $ 
Willughby and Ray, Hirundo marina major, and Hirundo marina Sterna |Turneri $ 
our people, in fome places, call them Serayes, and in others Terns. 
9 
Sterna fupra cana , capite rojlroque nigrOy pedibus rubris. 
the greyifh Sterna , with a black head and beaky and red legs. 
This is a very beautiful fpecies; the general figure wholly reprefents that of the 
former kind, and it’s fize is about equal, or, if any thing, a little fmaller : the head 
is large, and of a very lingular figure; it is rounded at the fummit, a little depreffed 
at the fides, and of an acuminated figure toward the anterior extremity : the beak is 
moderately long, and is confiderably convex; it is pointed at the extremity, and' is 
all over black: the noftrils are oblong and large, and are pervious and naked, and of 
a fomewhat paler colour about their edges than the reft. 
The 
