-")8 BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 



Lake (Jiitario. \)v. WlicatDii lueutioiis its iiiegular ofcunviioe on 

 Lake Ei-ie, and Dr. Brodie rejjorts it heiiig found near Torontn. in 

 the month of October, several years ago, 1 shot an immature specimen 

 as it rose from a piece of driftwood in Hamilton Bav, during a south- 

 erl}" blow of several daj's' duration, and that is the only time 1 have 

 ever seen the species here. 



In the report of the proceedings of the Canadian Institute for 

 ISS!), the following passage occurs: '"A Least Tern {sfi^nKi nutU- 

 lufiuii) was shot here by Mr. Wm. Loane on September ~)th. This, 

 with Dr. Brodie's' former record for Toronto, and Mr. McTl wraith's 

 for Hamilton, makes the third for Lake Ontario." 



The Little Striker, as it is called along the sea coast, we mav not 

 expect to see often in Ontario, for its principal breeding ground is on 

 the Gulf coast, and on the islands of the Atlantic coast of Florida. 

 The eggs are placed in a slight IkjIIow in the sand and broken shells 

 of the beach, which they resemble so much that they are often passed 

 without being ol)served, and thus escape trouble which migiit other- 

 wise befall them. 



Oexls HYDROCHELIDOX Boik. 

 HYDBOCHELIDON NIGRA SURINAMENSIS (G.\ii:l.). 



L'!t. Black Tern. (77) 



A<liill ill hrcediiig [jhiiuage : — Head, neck an<l under jiai-ls. uiiiforin jet 

 black ; back, wing.s and tail, plumbeous ; primaries, unstriped ; crissuni, pure 

 white ; bill, black. In winter and young bird.s, the l)lack is mostly leplaced 

 by white on the forehead, sides of head and under parts, the crown, occiput 

 and neck l)ehind, with the sides inider the wings, being dusky -gray : a dark 

 auricular patch and anothei- before the eye; in a very eai-ly stage, the upper 

 parts are vai-ied with cUdl brown. Small; wing, 8-J), little less than the whole 

 length of tlic liird ; tail. '^\, simply forked; liill, l-li; tarsus, H ; middle toe 

 and claw, 1 1. 



H.VB. — Temperate an<l tropical Aniorica. I'"i(ini Ahiska ami the fin rcmii- 

 tries to Chili, l)reeding from tiie middle United Stales northward. 



No nest, l^jggs, "ii \\\i: liog. two or three: brownish-f)livc, sjilashed and 

 spotted witli broM 11. 



C<jnnnon to iiotli continents, and extending its migrations far 

 noitli. 'i'lic I'llack Tern has lieeii found in Iceland, and. according to 

 Richaidson, is known to breed in the fur countries. It enters South- 

 ern Ontario eai-ly in May, visiting the various feeding re.sorts along 

 the route, in eompanv with the smaller gulls, and retires to the- 



