BLACK TEEN.
HYDR 0 CHE LID ON NIGRA (Linn.
Sterna nigra, Linn. S. N. i. p. 227 (1766) ; Naum. x. p. 189 ;
Hewitson, ii. p. 488.
Hydrochelidon nigra, Macg. v. p. 658 ; Yarr. ed. 4, iii. p. 516;
Dresser, viii. p. 327.
Guifette noire, French; Schivarze See-Schwalbe, German ;
Golondrina de mar negra, Charrán negro, Spanish.
This bird, though it formerly bred in abundance in
England, has now, from the drainage and reclamation
of its favourite marshes, become an irregular and not
very common straggler to our country. It was, well
within the memory of living man, a regular vernal
migrant to many parts of our fen-countries, and was
well-known by various local names, e. g. " Blue Darr,"
"Car-Swallow," " Starn,'' "Dare," and " Skelper."
My acquaintance with this Marsh-Tern in England is
confined to having occasionally met with it during its
wanderings in Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire, but
we found it nesting in great abundance in Southern
Spain in company with the Whiskered Tern. As its
habits very closely resemble those of that species, and
are alluded to in my article thereon in this work, I do