A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman.
- George Montagu
- Date:
- 1866
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman. Source: Wellcome Collection.
367/440 page 339
![TENGMALM’S OWL, [Tengmalm's Owl. — See Owl, Teng- malm’s.] Tem.— A gemis of birds, the characters of which are : Bill sti-ait, slender, sharp- pointed. Nostrils linear. Tongue slen- der, sharp. Wings very long. Tail forked. Feet small, webbed. Back toe small. [Tem, Arctic.— Yarrell, iii. 512,- Hewit- san, cxxxiii. 481. Sterna arctica, Temm. Man. d’Ornith. ii. 458; Selby, Brit. Ornith. ii. 473.—•• Bill from the foi-ehead to the tip one inch and two-eighths long, with the upper mandible arched; colour arte- rial blood-red (in some specimens the ex- treme tip is blackish red). Forehead, crown, and long occipital feathers intense black. Chin, and line bordering the black cap, white. Neck, breast, and the whole of the upper and under plumage, deep pearl-grey. Outer web of the first quill black, 'except about an inch near to the tip, which is grey; those of the other quills having pearl-grey tips, and exhibit- ing a silky lustre. Tail white and much forked; the exterior feather on each side having its outer web blackish grey ; those of the rest being pale ;peaii-grey. Wings, when closed, reaching to the end of the tail. Legs and feet deep arterial blood-red. Tarsi five-eighths of an inch in length. Claws black. The winter plumage of this hird has not yet been ascertained. The young, when fully fiedged, have the auri- culars and occiput greyish black. The upper parts pearl-grey, with the tips of the feathers pale yellowish grey. The under parts white.” — Selby, ii. 474. Al- though the Arctic Tem is not mentioned by Montagu, it appears to j?e a regular summer visitor in the North of England and in Scotland. It breeds in great num- bers on the Fem Islands, where it was for many years supposed to be the Common Tem (Sterna Hirundo). The eggs—two, three or four in number—are laid on the bare sand or gravel, and are placed so near together that it is difficult to walk without treading on them. The colony occupies a large space on the islet selected, and the eggs vary much ; the prevailing colour is oUve-green, -with dark blotches and mark- ings.] Tem, Black.— [Yarrell, iii. 628; Hew- iUon, cxxxv. 488.] Sterna fissipes, Lin. Syst. i. p. 228, 7 ; Gmel. Syat. ii. p. (ilO; Ind. Orn. ii. p. 810, 23. Sterna nigra, Bris. vi. p. 211, 4 ; Ib. 8vo, ii. p. 417 ; Ind. Orn. ii. p. 810 ; Lin. Syst. Larus niger Gesneri, Raii Syn. p. 131, A. 3 ; yVill. p. 200. La- rus niger fidipes alis longioribus Aldr. Raii Syn. p. 131, 4 ; Will. p. 270, v. t. 08. La- rus minor, fidipes nostros, Raii Syn. p. 132, A. 0; Will. p. 270, iv. Hirondelle de mer noire, ou I’Epouventail, Buf. viii. p. 341* Black Tern, Br. Zool. ii. No. 256 ; Ib. fol. 145, t. L.* 1, f. 1; Arct. Zool. ii. No. 450; Lath. Syn. vi. p. 300, 22,—p. 307, A. p Slip. p. 267 ; Lewin, Br. Birds, vi. t. 206; Wale. Syn. i. t. 122; Don. Br. Birds, iv. t. 74; Bewick, Br. Birds, ii. p. 203. Lesser Sea Swallow, Albin, ii. t. 89. Provincial: Cloven-footed Gull; Scare Crow; Stem ; Car Swallow.— This species is less than the Common Tern ; weight about two ounces and three- quarters ; length ten inches. Bill black; irides dusky. Forehead, sides of the head beneath the eyes, throat, and fore part of the neck white ; the rest of the head, back of the neck, and under part of the body black; back, wings, and tail deep ash- colour ; vent and under tail-coverts white; the tail is less forked than in either of the other species; the outer feathers edged with white ; legs dull red, the webs much indented or semipalmated. In some the forehead and fore part of the neck are mottled with black; and as most authors have omittad, or at least have not made mention of, any white on the forehead, such is probably another variety. The fe- male has no white about the head. The Black Tern has all the actions and man- ners of the other species, but seems to prefer fresh-water fish and insects to ma- rine. It breeds on the verge of pools in swampy places, and never, that we could trace, on the sea-shore, but frequently re- mote from the sea. It is found on the fenny parts of Lincolnshire and Cambridge- shire, and is called at this last place Car Swallow. Is plentiful about the reedy pools on Romney Marsh in Kent, where they first appear the latter end of April or beginning of May, and breed in the sedgy places on the verge of the pools; and though very near- the sea, is rarely seen on the shores till after the breeding sea- son, and then not commonly. It lays three or four Rght olive-brown eggs, blotched and spotted with brown and black, about the size of those of the Mag- pie. On the sea-shore that bounds the above extensive marsh all the other spe- cies are found during the incubating sea- son. Supplement.—The whole tribe of the Terns generally leave this country before the middle of October, but wo obtained a specimen of this bird the beginning of November, 1802, in Devonshire ; it was a young bird, we may conclude from the plumage. The head was mottled with black and white; the back and scnpuloi-s brown and grey; dusky at the setting on of the wings and the ridge ; the nock almost white, both behind and before;](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28089935_0367.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
