62 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



sometimes builds a substantial nest of sticks, 

 seaweed, and grasses, placing it just above higb- 

 water mark along the beach. At times it nests 

 in thick grass on high islands, and on the Magda- 

 len Islands Maynard found it breeding on the 

 tops of grass-topped rocks 200 feet above the 

 sea. The eggs are commonly laid in May or 

 June but many are deposited as late as July. 

 In New England, however, most of the young 

 are able to fly early in August ; and then the 

 families join in flocks, leave their breeding 

 places and forage over the country. At this sea- 

 son and in September some of them frequently 

 go up the rivers and sometimes to inland ponds, 

 where they probably find small fry in the warm 

 waters. 



In fishing they usually fly with the bill pointing 

 downward, and, when they observe their i)rey, 

 dive like a flash to the surface, often immersing 

 the head but seldom going entirely under water. 

 Several naturalists have followed the lead of 

 Giraud in asserting that this liird. though web- 

 footed, never dives and rarely swims, appearing 

 to avoid the water, except as it is obliged to 

 descend to the surface to procure food. It is 

 true that it does not, like Gulls, rest often on the 

 surface but in hot weather near its breeding 

 grounds small parties may be seen floating on 

 the waves bathing and throwing the spray about 

 with the abandon and enjoyment of the true 

 waterfowl — and they swim exceedingly well. 



These birds are useful to the fishermen as they 



serve to mark the presence of schools of edible 

 fish. These fish drive the small fry to the sur- 

 face, the telescopic eyes of the Terns mark the 

 disturbance from afar and when the fishermen 

 see the gathering, plunging flocks they put of? 



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riiMin i.N (I. ]■;. it.oii,,ra c-u.ir .,y ,,i N,,i A ,. ., .\i,a, s. i. 



EGGS OF COMMON TERN 



A hollow in the sand, a few bits of grass and dry seaweed, and 

 the nest is ready for the three eggs 



in their buiits, well knowing that their work lies 

 there. 



This Tern feeds largely on small fry, shrimps 

 and other small Crustacea but also at times on 

 grasshoppers and many flying insects. 



Edward Howe Forbusii. 



ARCTIC TERN 

 Sterna paradisaea Rri'tnnich 



A. O. U. Xuniber 71 See Color Plate 7 



Other Names. — ComiTion Tern ; Sea Swallow ; Para- 

 dise Tern : Crimson-billed Tern ; Long-tailed Tern ; 

 Short-footed Tern ; Portland Tern ; Pike's Tern. 



General Description. — Length, 14 to 17 inches. 

 Color, pale bluish-gray, lighter below. 



Color. — Adults in Summer: Crown, lustrous green- 

 ish-black encroaching on lores so as to leave only a 

 slender white line of feathers on upper side of bill ; 

 mantle, pale bluish-gray : under parts, a little lighter 

 shade of color of back, fading into white on chin, 

 throat, and edges of black cap, endiny ahruf'lly at under 

 tail-covcrls which arc pure ivhitc; outer primaries, 

 silvery-gray; inner webs, mostly white; inner primaries, 

 color of back, broadly tipped with white: tail, very long, 

 pure white, with outer web of outside feather grayish- 



black ; bill, carmine : feet, coral-red ; iris, brown. Adults 

 IN Winter: Forehead, white; crown, white with nar- 

 row black shaft lines, widening behind and merging 

 into solid black on nape ; a dark stripe on side of head ; 

 under parts, nearly white ; otherwise as in summer. 

 Immature: Like winter adult, but tip of bill black. 



Nest and Eggs. — Not distinguishable from those of 

 the Common Tern. 



Distribution. — Nearly cosinopolitan ; breeds from 

 Massachusetts north to northern Greenland, across 

 .Arctic regions to northern Alaska, and in entire Arctic 

 regions of Europe and Asia; winters in Antarctic 

 Ocean, south to latitude 74° ; in migration, Pacific 

 coast south to southern California, and Atlantic coast 

 south to Long Island; accidental in Colorado. 



