hover, at once distinguishes it from the Sandwich Tern,
to which in distribution of colour and in size it bears
a strong resemblance. In Spain the Gull-billed Tern
breeds not only on the sandy sea-shores, but also in very
great numbers upon the islets left in the "marisma"
of the Guadalquivir by the subsidence of the winter
floods. The cry of this Tern differs considerably from
that of any other with which I am acquainted, and is a
sort of laughing chatter varied by an occasional screech.
This bird is said to breed on the coast and islands
belonging to Denmark, and I know of its doing so
on the lagoons of Mcsolonghi. I am not aware of its
nesting in any European locality besides those already
mentioned, but its range extends to China, Ceylon, and
Australia, and it is not uncommon in certain districts of
North and South America.
