GULLS AND TERNS AT HOME 415 



Sweepers. He nests in summer in the Northern States, and in the 

 fall travels south. He can sleep standing on one leg or floating 

 on the water. His nest is usually built on the ground, but some- 

 times iu a tree. He goes fishing and clamming for a living. 



The Common Tern or Sea S-w^allovr 



Length thirteen to sixteen inches, according to the length of 

 the tail, which is deeply forked with slender outside feathers, like 

 a Barn JSwallow's. 



Plumage pure white, with a black cap on the head, a pearl- 

 blue mantle, and silver-black shades on the long wing-feathers, 

 w hich look as if they had hoar frost on them. 



Bill coral-red with a black tip, slender and very sharp, without 

 any hook at the entl. Feet coral-red, very small and weak, the 

 front toes webbed like a Gull's. 



Young ones are patched wdth various colors before they grow 

 their pearly, snowy, and jet-black feathers. 



A Citizen of North America, chiefly its eastern portions, who 

 travels far north in spring and far south in fall. He nests in 

 large colonies on the sand or shingle of beaches, and cries very 

 sadly when House People come to steal the eggs or kill the young 

 ones. He belongs to the guild of Sea Sweepers, and eats little 

 fishes. 



The Loon or Great Northern Diver 



Length two and a half to three feet, with a long neck like a 

 Goose's, and a stout straight black bill, very sharp-pointed. 



Plumage glossy black above, with a necklace of white streaks 

 and many square white spots on the back; under parts white from 

 the root of the neck backwards, but the sides of the breast streaky. 



Young ones are speckled gray and w^iite, without any glossy 

 black, and the bill is not black. 



A Citizen of North America, who nests in the far North and 

 migrates into the United States for the winter. 



A famous Sea Sweeper, who can catch fish by chasing them 

 under water. He can dive like a flash and fly more than a hun- 

 dred yards under w^ater before coming up to breathe, but is very 

 awkward and top-heavy on land because his legs are so far back 



