EGGS OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRD^. \\ 



diuiu-sized Terns' eggs, on the average. Nests placed on the 

 ground, in marslies. Breeds throughout the interior of North 

 America, from Manitoba, southward, and along the coasL to 

 Cobb's Island, Virginia. 



70. Common Tern-, Sterna hirundo. (Type, Plate I.) Eggs, 

 3 or 4, indistinguishable from those of No. 69, but darker in 

 ground-color. Breeds throughout the Northern Hemisphere, 

 but in North America confined to the Atlantic coast, where it 

 breeds in colonies, from Florida to the Arctic regions. 



71. Arctic Tern, Sterna paradiscea. Eggs, 3 or 4, indis. 

 tinguishable from those of No. 70, but average a little darker. 

 Nests placed on the ground, on sand-hills. Breeds throughout 

 the Northern Hemisphere ; in North America from Southern 

 Massachusetts to Arctic regions. 



72. Roseate Terx, Sterna dougalli. Eggs, 3 or 4, indistin- 

 guishable from those of Nos. 70 and 71, but, from the smaller 

 size of the bird, should be, perhaps, a trifle smaller. The nest- 

 ing habits of the last three given species serve to identify the 

 eggs, in a measure. No. 70 nests in sand-hills, but seldom con- 

 structs much of a nest, a little grass only being used. No. 71 

 lays on the naked sand, without a nest; No. 72 in the sand- 

 hills, and constructs a more or less elaborate nest of sticks. 



73. Aleutian Tern, Sterna aleutica. Eggs, oval, brownish 

 or greenish olive, with large markings, often confluent, of dirty 

 brown; 1.10 -|- 1-^5 to 1.15 -}- 1.85. Breeds along the coast 

 of Alaska, from Kadiack to Norton Sound. 



74. Least Tern, Sterna antillarum. (Type, Plate II.) 

 Eggs, 3 or 4 in the North, 2 or 3 in the South, oval, varying 

 from white to buff, blotclied and spotted with brown, umber, 

 and lilac, of many shades, with an occasional tinge of lilac; 

 .75 -f- 1.00 to .90 -|- 1.30. Known at once by small size, light 

 color and oval form. Nest placed on the rocks or on sand. 

 Breeds throughout Northern South America, West Indies, 

 along the coast of Noith America, to California. Eggs laid in 

 the Bahamas and in Florida, early in May; in Virginia, in 

 June; in Massachusetts, not until the first week in July. 



