736 



"FIE 1;LACK Tl'.RX. 



I X SDUie (if ilir ]irairii' stales uf ihc Alulilk' \\ (.-si the lilack 'IV-rn 

 seems lo be a sort of connecting link between the birds of land and water. 

 There it is found either sinj^ly or in little companies, ranging o\er the prairie 

 with the freedom of a swallow and at considerable distances from its breeding 

 haunts. In our own Stale it is more strictly confined to the vicinity of the 

 e.xtensi\e tule swamps of the interior lakes, or to the adjacent meadows, ;md 

 appears to ha\e no interest in the sagey uplands. During the migrations the 

 birds ma\' take a turn about some wayside ])ond, or e\en ])ause at the Snake 

 Ri\ei-: but the\' alli'acl little attention sa\e in the \icinity of the swamp itself. 



The Terns arri\e upon 

 ilieir lireeding gnuuids 

 ihiriug the second week 

 in .Ma\, bul the\' are not 

 usually in haste to begin 

 their nesting, since there 

 is danger not only of 

 high water and cleslrnc- 

 ti\'e sl(irms. but of cold 

 snaps as well. Xesting is 

 at its height during the 

 second week in Jnne, but 

 fresh sets are sometimes 

 obtainable well into July. 

 .Vugust is spent in leis- 

 ureh' fashion, either in 

 loitering about the more 

 secludeil lakes or remaining in the accust(>med s\vam])s. The return move- 

 ment begins late in .\ugust. and C(.)ntinues in a desultory fashion well into 

 Sei)tember, but ma\- be accelerated bv earl\' frosts. 



The food of the Black Tern consists almost e,\clusi\-el\- of insects. These 

 are obtained a-wing, and in securing them the liird exhibits great dexterity, — 

 -now towering to a lofty height, with a single sti-oke against the wind, to 

 make comiections with a drifting moth; now following a liewildering zigzag 

 thru the reed-tops in pursuit of the agile dragon-tl\'. In the fall I have 

 seen them busily engaged o\er lieds of pickerel-weed, (^n these occasions 

 they feed with a ])eculiar dabbing motiou, b\- which they cull some tidbit from 

 the surface of the weed-strewn water, and regain a higher level after each 

 stroke without wetting the wings; but wliether the\- \v.m\ insect pvev or oulv 

 vegetable matter, I ha\'e not been able to determine. 



In searching for the nests of the lUack Tern one must penetrate the 

 oozy recesses of some undisturbed swamp, preferabh- in a tiat-boat. Here in 

 a secluded ba\'ou the birds will hover about the intruder, fretting and screaiu- 



I'lidlii by the Antltn} . 



IN .^NC.KV WOOD. 



