50 THE NATURAL HISTORY 
‘There is another Tern that feeds moftly on in- 
fe&ts. Terns of this kind are not very noily. 
They lay their eggs in tufts of grafs or mofs, upon 
hillocks eS) with water, or on the banks; 
they collect a few bents, and make a flight asi 
they fit feventeen days on their eggs, which all 
hatch the fame day. 
GENUS 39. RYNCHOPS. 
Tue SKIMMER, or CUT-WATER. 
The bill is much compreffed, fe is ftraight; the upper 
mandible is much the fhorter; the Jower feems as though 
cut off at the end. 
ROM the ftrange form of its beak, the 
Skimmer can neither bite with the fide, 
gather any thing before it, or peck with the point, 
the lower mandible is fo much longer than the 
upper, which only falls upon it as a razor on its 
handle ; fo that the bird, in oan to feed itfelf, is 
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Se A ee 
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