SKIMMKRS. S5 



— Forfthr-ad, nape, and under part* white: back oi' the head black mixed 

 with white; back, wing^s, and taiJ deep jHsurl-irrny. Im. — Similar to the pre- 

 cfxlinjr, but upfxir parts more or h:;^?* washed and tipped with brownish ; sides 

 washed with ^rrayish. L., 10-00; W,, S-'iO; T., 3%%; B., 1'<X». 



/i'//ny^.— Temperate and tropical America; breedi* in the interior from 

 Kansa-s and Illinoi.s to Ala-ska; not known to breed on the Atlantic coa-^t. 

 where it is found from Prince Edward's Island southward as an irregular 

 migrant, occurring at times in considerable numVjers, 



Washington, irregular T. V., Sept. Long Island, irregular T. V. in vary- 

 ing numbers, Aug. and Sept. Sing Sing, A. V., Sept. 



NcM^ of reeds, grasses, ete., rather closely woven, in gra-^sy marshes or 

 vegetation floating in a slough, 2";^^*, two to three, grayish olive-brown, 

 rarely whitish, heavily spotted and blotched with chocolate markings, fre- 

 quently confluent about the larger end, 1-3.5 x -OS, 



This is an abundant species at favorable Irxialities in the interior. 



" It seems not to subsist on fish at all, but chiefly on dragon flies 

 and various aquatic insects. It finds both its home and its food in 

 the marshes usually, but its powers of flight are so great that it may 

 also h>e seen far out on the dry open plains, scouring the country for 

 food at a distance of miles from its nesting ground. , . . 



"The bird may fre^juently be seen dashing about in a zigzag man- 

 ner srj swiftly, the eye can offer no explanation of its motive until, on 

 the resumption of its ordinary flight, a large dragon fly is seen hang- 

 ing from its bill. . . ." (Thompson;. 



The WiiiTE-wixGED Black Tebx (78. JlydrocM.UIon Uacf/ptera;. an Old 

 World .sf>ecies, has been taken once in Wisconsin, and is recorded a.-» ••seen^ 

 on a lake near Winnipeg. 



79. Anous stolidus ' Lirm.). Noddy. Ad. — Top of the head silvery 



whitish, lores hiacii: re.st of the plumage dark sooty brown : tail rounded, 

 the central tail-feathers longest. Im. — Similar, >>ut the top of the head \» 

 like the rest of the plumage and the silverj' whitish appears as a line from 

 the bill to aVjve the eye. L., 15-00; W., 10-2.5; T., 5-90; B., 1-70. 



Range. — " Tropical and subtropical regions; in America, from Brazil and 

 Chili north to the Gulf and South Atlantic States^ ^A. 0. U.;. 



Xejft, of sticks, grasses, etc.. on a mangrove bush, in a tree, sometimes on 

 the beach or in crevices of rocks. Egg- pale butf'y white, sparingly marked 

 with rufoas, 2-0.5 x r.35. 



This is a summer visitant to our South Atlantic and Gulf coasts, 

 and nests on some of the Florida keys. 



Family RY>xHOPiDyE. Skimmers. 



The three closely allied species con.stituting this small but distinct 



family are found in the warmer parts of the earth. Only one species 



