75° 



THE FORSTER TERN. 



equally between lisliing, liawkiny. and loafing. At fishing time the birds move 

 about in leisurely fashion at a height of from ten to forty feet above the lake. 

 The beak is carried point down like that of a mos(|uito, and the bird is evi- 

 dently giving close attention to the water. Sometimes the bird hovers to make 

 sure of the nature of its ])rey; but oftener, without an instant's hesitation, it 

 plunges souse! into tlie water, sometimes pa-^sing clear from sight, and 



Tijkcn on Brook Lake. 

 Photo bv the Author. 



CONFLICTING CL.MJIS. 



TWO EGGS OF THK WESTERN GREBE AND ONE OF THE FORSTER TERN OCCUPY TUE NEST PROPER, 

 wiril.I-: A \V,\IF EGG OF THE AMERICAN COOT APPEARS ON THE RIGHT. 



emerges a moment later witli a wriggling minnow in its beak. When the 

 insects are flying well, the Terns prefer to hawk. Dragon-flies and caddis-flies 

 are favorite quarry, and in pursuit of the latter the birds will often rise to a 

 height of .several hundred feet. But loafing is really Forsters' forte. 

 They will stand around by the hour on fence-posts, in amiable listlessness, or 

 they will foregather with their fellows in measureless content upon some low- 

 Iving mud-reef. Keallv, now, it rests the mind merely to recall these lazy 

 Lazzaroni. 



