NATATORES. LA RIDJE.
T H E LESSER T ERN .
Sterna minutaj ■--Lesser Tërrt, - PENNj-^rit. Zool. vol. ih p. 198.
M o'nt.
Bewick,-B?it. Birds^^l- ii- p'-
. .FLEM. Brit. An. p. 144.
’ ft e lb y ,-Br i t. 6 rni'th. vimUTp]. 17«.
JenynsVBrit.-Vert. p.J67d- .
, wMÊ&SmÊm GouEBj,-Birds-of Europe^tit|viii.
„ Petqtè~Hiroridelle~de T-emm. Man. d'Ogn-ith. wJBjM
T his pretty little bird," the smallep? of ‘the5: British TernSt
but one of the most elegant as well as delicate examp||§of
the species, is; not uncommon during summer on èüeh' parts
of the coast of -the British Islands-as aré -suited to ribs habits;.
I t appears to prefer low'flat shores, br islets* of sand, broken
shells, or small shingle, coining here early in May*-and laying
two or three egg's before the; end of th a t:month iii any small
accidental depression' in the ground above high water mark
I have found them in considerable numbers at thé mouth, of
the Thames on the Kentish side, about Yaritlet island, and
the creek of the samb name close by. When their breeding-
haunts are ’'visited they exhibit- but little fear, settling on the
ground not far; from those who may be looking for their eggs
or young, and will frequently walk about with a light step,
or .with a: ’piping note again take wing. . Théy fly -with rapid
beats of th e irB n g pinions, and from this circumstance look
iipi|^c|irger inithè air than; when in .hand. Their food, con-:
sistslof the fry of surface-swimming fish,’and small Crustacea,
upon which-théy-,descend from theiair, and I have frequently
seehf them- alighkpn the.water^^bnietimes. evidently seeking
food on., thse surface, and at - others • only resting from their
labours.
Their?gg.gS! are- of a- stone -colour, spotted and speckled with
agh-gigy and. dark d^stnut-bfown the length one inch four
^iifes^ib.y cÈivèS l i ^ Min breadth.' Thelyoung are; generally
'th i j f l l of the ’second wéék in J u ly ;- - and' Mr,
Audubon me-^^MptKat they are-fed- for a timpen the- wing
by* thei^tlaréhts. . Both olds»aiid;young leave'this country
about, the en d o f.September, but I have a note, of .one seen
on the 10th of October, and I received a notice? from
the;; Rev.- William Hofehfanfil one that»- was cexposed for sale
in ^’Nor wichfhiaThei^l®r#the' th ir d wèek of the month of December.
Jo This Jp|eeies .visits ;many. different; places along the line of
thevsbSuthern ' coasts? Sfomi4t(|orn wall to -Sussei. I t has been
\htetii0ed on the pupék of?lpBS0B| Suffolk, and Norfolk ; was
observed by Montagu to be numerous about Skegness/: oh the
coast:-óf Lincolnshire. Does not- breed .on the Fam islands,
according» to Mri^eliby, but .upon the beach of the main land
hear. H ^ p Island, and on the shore jjafr’the' Frith of Forth on
both vsides^ht Professor, Macgillivray says it visits the Rands
,near Aberdeenhghd. also some other localities on the west
coast of Scotland. I t frequents some of the sandy flats in