BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 21 



Superior; but it has only been within a few years that I have 

 felt any measure of assurance that they also breed about some 

 of the inland lakes. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Head and upper part of neck grayish-black, this color extend- 

 in.i? rather lower on the throat than on the neck behind; lower 

 part of neck, under plumage, rump, and tail, white; back and 

 wings clear bluish-gray; first primary black on outer web; 

 inner w^eb of the same, both webs of the second, and the outer 

 web of the third, white; inner web of the third, and all the other 

 primaries the same color as the back; the six outer primaries 

 have their ends black for the extent of about one inch on the 

 central ones, but less on the first and sixth, and they are tipped 

 with white slightly; shoulders, anterior borders of the wings, 

 and outer webs of the primary coverts, white; bill deep black; 

 inside of mouth carmine; iris hazel; legs and feet orange, with 

 a reddish tinge. 



Length, 14.50; wing, 10.50; tail, 4.35; bill, 1^; tarsus. 1.25. 



Habitat, whole of North America. 



STERNA TSCHEGR.4.TA Lepechin. (64.) 

 CASPIAN TERN. 



Until within a few years I have believed this Tern was only 

 a rather common migrant, but I have the evidence that the 

 species remains through the summer in many localities. Mr. 

 Lewis entertained this belief as long ago as in 1876, having 

 found the young birds in a visit to Polk county in July. It has 

 been my privilege to do the same at a little later date, yet pre- 

 sumably too early for the migration of the young, and I am 

 therefore entertaining the confident expectation of finding the 

 nest in due time. 



Usually, about the first of May, or possibly a little earlier, 

 the Caspian Tern makes its apjDearance, and for only a short 

 time is seen passing rapidly from lake to lake in search of its 

 favorite food, the fresh-water mussels, with which the margins 

 of the marsh-land streams and lakes abound. The flight is a 

 marvel of gracefulness, ease, and unwearied maintainance, 

 never failing to arrest the attention of any one at all interested 

 in the birds There is no marked difference in their numbers 

 in the autumnal southward movement, which commences 

 generally about the 20th of September, at which time, how 

 ever, individuals continue to be seen occasionally about the 

 larger lakes like Mille Lacs, Red lake, Shatek, etc. , until near 



