LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN GULLS AND TERNS. 201 



Giitke (1895) notes similar habits for the species in Heligoland, in 

 the following words: 



Anyone who. day after day, has watched the terns darting^ down into the 

 sea from great heights, so that the foam spurts high into tlie air must feel 

 particularly surprised to see a bird so similar in appearance roving about over 

 the fields, suddenly dropping among the long stalks of the potatoes and disap- 

 pearing from sight. Such, however, is the only v/ny in which the bird seelvs 

 its food on this island ; for it has never been seen fishing on the sea like the 

 other members of the genus. 



Yarrell (1871) credits it with eating other food to some extent, as 

 follows : 



The food of this species is somewhat varied. In Ceylon Col. W. V. Legge 

 found it to consist of frogs, crabs, and fish ; in Egypt, Von Heuglin observed 

 the bird darting into the dense smoke of a prairie fire in pursuit of locusts; 

 and in Algeria Mr. Salvin noticed it hovering over grass fields and pouncing 

 upon grasshoppers and beetles. It also captures many species of insects on 

 the wing. 



Behavior. — The flight of the gull-billed tern is slightly heavier 

 and steadier than that of the other small terns, but it is strong and 

 at times very swift; it seems to have better command of itself on 

 the wing. When traveling it usually flies at a considerable height 

 Avith rapid wing beats and with steady and direct purpose. When 

 in pursuit of its insect prey its plunges are exceedingly swift and 

 daring. It shows also much of the skill of a swallow in making 

 quick turns or in darting about with great velocity. It shows its 

 command of its movements in its sudden plunges to the ground or 

 to the surface of the water, where it secures its food, as it checks 

 its descent, and darts away again, all of which is done with the 

 grace and ease of an expert. I believe that it never dives and seldom 

 swims, though, of course, it can do both. 



I know of no very distinctive field mark by which the gull-billed 

 tern may be easily recognized, although its flight is characteristic, 

 its tail is shorter and less deeply forked than that of the common 

 tern, and, if near enough, its heavy black bill will identify it. 



Tiie hoar.se voice of this species and its characteristic notes will 

 serve to identify it with certainty. On its breeding grounds its 

 notes sounded to me like " Katydid, Katydid," or " Kadid," accented 

 on the last syllable, or sometimes like " Killy " or " Killy-Kadid," 

 all quickly uttered, loud, and rasping. Mr. Montague Chamberlain 

 (1891) describes the notes "by the syllables Kay-wek^ Karj-wekP 

 Yarrell (1871) says: 



During the breeding season its note resembles the syllables che-ah, and, at 

 other times it utters a laughing af, af, a1, like a gull. 



Its behavior with relation to other species seems to be above re- 

 proach. It associates freely on its breeding grounds with common 

 terns, Forster's terns, laughing gulls, and black skimmers. Reports 



