y 



THE BLACK TERN 



ONE of the most wonderful things about God^s crea- 

 tion is the wonderful way each object is fitted to the 

 conditions under which it lives and for gathering the 

 food on which it subsists. 



Among the water birds we have already learned that 

 there are two great groups, one of which has long slender 

 legs and as a rule long necks and long bills, just the 

 things that make it possible for them to catch frogs, 

 pollywogs, and other creatures that live along the shores 

 of lakes and rivers where they feed. The other group of 

 water birds has rather short legs with webbed feet, the web 

 acting as an oar making it possible for them to swim very 

 rapidly. Those that feed largely on vegetable matter have 

 broad bills which they use as shovels for digging in the 

 bottom of shallow ponds for the tender roots and stems they 

 like so much. 



Others, like the gulls that live largely on meat, have 

 more or less of a hook on the end of the rather broad bill 

 to assist them in tearing fish and other flesh-food in 

 pieces. Since it is often necessary for these birds to 

 catch their food among the schools of small fish that 

 swim far out in the sea, they have powerful wings and 

 are therefore able to fly for hours at a time. In some 



