24 NOTES ON THE 



legs and feet coral red, not so dark as the bill; claws brownish 

 black. 



Length, 15; wing, 11; tail, 6; tarsus, 0.75. 



Habitat, North America generally. 



The galloping herd of itinerant ornithologists who have 

 been in immoderate haste to see their names in print, and 

 enjoy a share of immortality while still warm with enthusiasm, 

 have habitually reported this Tern as not breeding here to any 

 extent, but more careful and long continued investigations of 

 the local history of the species disprove their assumptions. I 

 am now able to say that while they do not breed here to the 

 extent that they do in some exceptional localities like those 

 described by Samuels in his "Birds of New England," p 547, 

 they are fairly common in the northern sections of the State. 

 On the fiat country approaching the Lake of the Woods they 

 are numerous all through the season of breeding, although I 

 could not give as much time to securing the eggs while in that 

 region in 1887 as I desired, yet enough were to be readily seen 

 to prove the past assumptions to be groundlessly made. The 

 variations in size were quite striking, but not to be compared 

 with the modifications of the markings. 



STERNA ANTILLAKl 31 Lesson. (74 ) 

 LEAST TERN. 



I have been not a little surprised that so few individuals of 

 this species have come under my notice during the long years 

 of my local observation, and still more so that amongst so 

 many earnest collectors so very few have been observed. 

 Nevertheless, the species not only come to and migrate 

 through the State in considerable numbers, but the (supposed) 

 eggs have been obtained in several widely separated sections, 

 showing a general but not abundant distribution. 



I have said "supposed eggs" because I do not feel entire 

 confidence in their identity for the reason that other Terns 

 were also observed, and the second year's plumage offers many 

 difficulties in identification without any extensive series to 

 compare with at hand. 



Mj'^ inf amiliari ty with the Gulls and Terns makes me speak 

 with exceptional hesitation. With greater leisure, [ hope to 

 be able to speak with more confidence. I will say that I have 

 found very few individuals in the fall migrations that were 

 not in immature plumage, but I seldom fail of getting a por- 

 tion of the mature in spring. 



I find the average time of their arrival in spring through 

 tliirty years has been April 27, and almost invariably is then 



