616 GLEANINGS. 



rapacious Gulls of the northern seas; hunters^ as the name 

 Jaeger implies, with hawk-like bills ; long, pointed wings; 

 dark bodies, lighter underneath; the two central feathers 

 finally projecting 4-8 inches beyond the otherwise square 

 tail. They breed after the manner of the Gulls, in high 

 northern regions, wandering south in winter to the New 

 England or Middle States. Those are the Kua (.S. skua), 

 the Pomarine Jaeger (^S. pomatorhinus), Richardson's Jaeger 

 {S. parasiticus), or the Long-tailed Jaeger {^S. buffoni). They 

 vary in length, from 2 feet downw^ard to several inches less. 

 AVith great powers of flight, they chase other sea-birds till 

 they either drop or disgorge their prey, and thus procure a 

 rather disreputable livelihood. 



The Ivory Gull [Larus ebur?ieus), about 18 inches long and 

 pure white in maturity, is an extremely arctic species, rarely 

 reaching the United States in winter. 



The Fork-tailed Gull {Xema sabinei), some 13.50 long, has 

 the common coloring of the Gulls, except that the head is 

 slate-colored, and there is a black color around the neck, 

 and a black edge from the shoulder to the tip of the wing. 

 It is a very northerly species, rarely reaching New York in 

 winter. 



The Gull-billed Tern {Sterna anglica), about 13.50 long, 

 the mantle extending over the rump and tail, may be known 

 by its short, thick, black bill. It is found from New Jersey 

 southw^ard on the Atlantic. 



The Caspian Tern {^Sterna caspia), the common color of 

 the Terns, the tail less forked, known by its great size — 

 some 20 inches in length — is an arctic species, but has re- 

 cently been found breeding off the coast of Virginia. It 

 winters from Massachusetts southward. 



The Royal Tern {Sterna rigia), some 19 inches long, the 

 rich, silvery mantle extending over the tail, is an abundant 



