STERNA MACRO URA. 10 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 

 Eijys, pliiced on tlie ground in sandy places, three or four in number, oval in f.;nu, varying from nearly pure white, 

 through green, to deep-brown in color, spotted and blotched irregularly with brown, unibcr, and lilac of varying shades. 

 Dimensions from I'OSx IMO to l-25x 1-80. 



UABIIS. 

 Forster's Tern i.s very common in Florida in winter, fre(iuenting- the inland waters as 

 well as the coast. They are then in the dress which was formerly known as; IlaveH's Tern, 

 but they moult in April, as.suniing the black head of the summer plumaire. In .'^prinii', they 

 gather on the sand-bars of Indian River, in great numbers, in company with other mem- 

 bers of the genus. The notes have some resemblance to those of the preceding species, but 

 are easily recognized, being somewhat harsher. Forstcr's Terns breed on the Great Lakes 

 of the interior but are occasionally found on the New England coast in autumn. 



STERNA MACROUEA. 



Ai-ctic Tern. 



Sterna macroura I^.iCM., Isis, 1819. 



DESCRIl'TION. 



Si'. Cn. Form, rather slender. Size, medium. Bill, slender. Bottom of feet, roughened. Color. Adult. Rath- 

 er dark ashy-blue throughout, becoming lighter on throat. Un<ler portion of wings, rump, and tail, white, the la.st hav- 

 ing .some of the outer welis dusky. Primaries, dusky, white on two thirds of inner webs. Top of head to lower eyelid and 

 occiput, black. Iris, brown, 1)111 :rad feet, coral-red. In imnter, the anterior portion of head becomes more or less white. 

 Younij. Siiiiilir to winter adult but with shouldera dusky, hack obscurely banded with dusky and rcddi.sh, and white be- 

 neath. Bill, hlai-k, and feet, yellow. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



The young with the wliite forehead and dusky shoulders which were hatched late and which apparently failed to moult 

 the following spring have been de.scribeu as Sterna Porilantiica. Kno\\-n in the adult stage by the medium size and slender 

 red bill and the young, by the aliruptly white rump, short tarsus and roughened feet. Di.stributed, in summer, from Vir- 

 ginia t ) tlie liult of St. Lawrence. Winters south of the United States. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average mea~ureiuents of specimens. Length, 14"25; stretch, ^T-Qj; v«"iug, ni-88; tail, G'85; bill, TSO; tivrsus, -65. 

 Longest specimen, 17 00; greatest extent of wing, :{2-l5; longest wing, 11-75; tall, 8-30, bill, 1'3H; tarsus, -71. Shortest 

 specimen, !1 50; smallest extent of wing, 23-75; shortest wing, 10-00; tail, 600; bill, l-:;25; tarsus, -60. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 

 /■>/,/.«, phiced on the ground in sandy jdaces, three or four in number, oval in form, varying from nearly pure white to 

 deep hvown in color, spotted ami blotched irregularly with brown, umber, and lilac of varying shades. Dimensions from 

 1-05 .\ 1-40 to l-J5xl-80. 



HABITS. 

 T think the utimc Antic Tern, litis been misapplied to the present species, for as far 

 as my observations extend, it is not nearly its northern in distribution, at least on our side 

 of the Atlantic, as the Ooniinon Tern. Thus, I found these birds rare on the Mtigdalens, 

 where the others were abundani, and collections that I have examined, from Labrador and 

 northward, contained nothing but Common, tiithough almost invariably labeled as Arctic. 

 The Arctic Terns breed along the cotist of New England, almost always placing the eggs 

 on the naked sand, and aitpear especially Ibnd of sand-bars that are entirely destitute of 

 vegetation. In habits and time of breeiling, they closely resemble the Common Tern, and 

 the notes of the two species are nearly alike. 



STERNA DOUGALLI. 

 Roseate Tern. 



Sterna Douijalli Mont., Orn. Diet. Sup., 1813. 

 DESCRIPTION. 

 Sp. Cu. Form, .slender. Size, medium. Bill, long and slender. Color. Adult. Above, pale a.shy-blue, lightest 

 on neck and tail. Outer tail feathers, white. Primaries, dusky on^outer webs and on inner next the shaft. Beneath. 



