THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 59 



69 Sterna forsteri Nuttall. 

 Forster's Tern. 



Adults.— 'Length, 14-15. Wing, 9.50-10.25. Similar to the Common Tern, 

 but rump and under parts pure white, and tail pale gray, with the outer web of 

 the outer tail feathers white. 



Eggs, three to four; buff or brownish spotted with dark brown and lilac, 

 1.80 X 1.30. 



A very rare straggler, if it still occurs at all on the coast. 



Turnbull seems to have been the first to record this species in New- 

 Jersey. He says: "Rare; I have found it breeding on Brigantine 

 Beach." Krider (1879) says: "Found on the shore of New Jersey 

 with the Common Tern." Mr. Scott (1877) regarded it as rare on 

 Long Beach, where he took a pair May 14th, 1877. Dr. W. L. Abbott 

 secured specimens on Five Mile Beach May 15th, 1877; April 26th- 

 May 17th, 1878; June 3d, 1879; May 6th, 1880; May 20th, 1881, 

 and May 22d, 1882, along with the Common Tern, with which it must 

 have been breeding. Mr. C. S. Shick (1890) records it as associated 

 with the Common Tern on Seven Mile Beach, but not very common, 

 where formerly it was abundant. This is apparently the last Avord we 

 have of it as a New Jersey bird. 



71 Sterna paradisaea Briinnich. 

 Arctic Tern. 



Adults.— 'Length, 14-17. Wing, 10-10.50. Similar to the Common Tern, but 

 much grayer below in summer, and with more white on the inner web of the 

 primaries ; tail longer and bill usually entirely red. 



The evidence upon which this species is entered upon the New Jer- 

 sey list is very unsatisfactory. At best, it was never more than the 

 rarest straggler. 



Bonaparte says (1826) that it is not rare in autumn on the New 

 Jersey coast. ^ Audubon (1834) states that it is found in winter, 

 "sometimes as far south as New Jersey," while Turnbull says, "Most 



^ Ann. N. Y. Lye. Nat. Hist., II., p. 355. 



