ARCTIC TERN. 555 



wind bad been blowing bard for many days from tbe east 

 and N.E., but suddenly cbanged to tbe westward, continuing 

 to blow bard. Some of tbe specimens. bad not acquired tbe 

 perfect black bead peculiar to tbe breeding-season, but all 

 were on tbeir route to tbeir nortbern summer quarters, tbeir 

 intended course baving been interfered witb by tbe prevailing 

 strong winds, 



Tbe Arctic Tern is abundant in tbe Faeroe Islands, 

 Iceland, Greenland, Spitsbergen, Novaya Zemlya, also along 

 tbe entire coast of Norway, Sweden, and Kussia. It is said 

 to breed up to tbe extremities of tbe deep fjords wbicb 

 indent tbose countries, and even on tbe fresb-water lakes, 

 but sucb is not its custom in our islands, in wbicb its 

 babitat is exclusively marine. Its summer range can be 

 traced along tbe coast of Siberia to Bering Straits, and 

 across tliem to tbe American mainland ; tbeuce by tbe 

 sbores and islands of tbe Ai'ctic Sea, tbe Great Bear Lake 

 and tbe Fur countries to Hudson's Bay. It goes as far 

 nortb as buman foot bas trod, for Parry's expedition met 

 witb it breeding in numbers to tbe nortb of Spitsbergen 

 in 81f ° N. lat. ; and Major H. W. Feilden, wben in 

 H.M.S. ' Alert,' found, on 21st August, 1876, eigbt or ten 

 pairs breeding on a small islet off tbe nortb end of Bellot 

 Island (lat. 81° 44' N.), tbe land at tbis date being covered 

 witb snow about tbree incbes deep. In one nest lay a 

 newly-batcbed Tern, wbicb seemed quite well and lively in 

 its snow-cradle, and tbis, tbe most Arctic of specimens, bas 

 been kindly presented to tbe Editor. Tbe parent birds bad 

 evidently tbrown tbe snow out of tbe nest as it fell, for it 

 was surrounded by a border marked by tbe feet of tbe old 

 birds, and raised at least two incbes above tbe general level 

 (Ibis, 1877, p. 408). On tbe east coast its breeding-range 

 extends at least as far soutb as Massacbusetts; and in winter 

 it can be traced to Babia in Brazil, and to Tumbes in Peru.* 



Crossing tbe Atlantic, tbe Arctic Tern visits tbe Canaries 



* Sterna pihd, Lawrence, appears to be an immature example of this species 

 from California ; and S. portlandica, Ridgway, is a bird of about twelve months 

 old, obtained just before commencing its moult. 



