carpenter] THE NESTING OF THE BLACK TERN 



177 



My next visit to the nest was June 28th. The three little birds 

 were still on the muskrat house undoubtedly because of the diffi- 

 culty of getting across the open water surrounding it. They did 

 not seem any larger, and the family duties went on as already 

 described. July 1st, the little birds were not to be found. I have 



Upper — Old bird passing food to baby bird. 

 Lower — Baby bird playing in water. 



no doubt they had swum across to the rank growth of reeds and 

 rushes and were safely hidden. 



However, the old birds protested against my invasion of the 

 marsh as vigorously as ever. Here is an interesting habit of this 

 bird shared only by the marsh hawk among the marsh birds. 



Whenever I went to the marsh, the terns would meet me when 

 I was 12 to 15 rods away, flying about my head and screaming, 



