.38 BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 



Lake Ontario. Dr. Wheatoii mentions its irregular occurrence on 

 Lake Erie, and Dr. Br-odie repoi'ts it Ijeing f(Xind near Toronto. In 

 the month of October, several years ago, I shot an immature specimen 

 as it rose from a 2)iece of driftwood in Hamilton Bay, during a south- 

 erly blow of several days' duration, and that is the only time I have 

 ever seen the species here. 



In the report of the proceedings of the Canadian Institute for 

 ISS!), the following passage occui's : "A Least Tern {sterna antil- 

 lunnn) was shot here by Mr. Wm. Loane on September 5th. This, 

 with Dr. Brodie's former record for Toronto, and Mr. Mcllwraith's 

 for Hamilton, makes the third for Lake Ontario." 



The Little Striker, as it is called along the sea coast, we may not 

 expect to see often in Ontario, for its principal l^reeding ground is on 

 the Gulf coast, and on the islands of the Atlantic coast of Florida. 

 The eggs are placed in a slight hollow in the sand and liroken shells 

 of the ])each, which they resemble so much that they are often passed 

 without being oVjserved, and thus escajje trouble which might other- 

 wise befall them. 



Uexus HYDROCHELIDON Boie. 

 HYDROCHELIDON NIGRA SURINAMENSIS (Gmel.). 



29. Black Tern. (77) 



Adiih ill bleeding plumage: — Head, iieck and under pait.s. uniform jet 

 black ; back, wings and tail, plumbeous ; primaries, unstriped ; crissum, pure 

 white ; l)ill, black. In winter and young birds, the black is mostly replaced 

 by white on the forehead, sides of head and under parts, the crown, occiput 

 and neck Ijehind, with the sides under the wings, being duskj^-gray : a dark 

 auriculai' patch and another before tlie eye ; in a very early stage, the upper 

 parts are varied with dull brown. Small ; wing, 8-9, little less than the whole 

 length of the l)ird ; tail, Si, simplj- forked; l>ill, 1-li: tarsus, j4 : middle toe 

 and claw, IJ. 



Hab. — Temperate and tropical America. From Alaska and the fur coun- 

 tries to Chili, breeding from the middle United States northward. 



No nest. Kggs, on the bog, two or three ; brownish-olive, splashed and 

 spotted with brown. 



Common to Ijoth continents, and extending its migi'ations fai- 

 north. The Black Tern has been found in Iceland, and, according to 

 Richardson, is known to breed in the fur countries. It enters South- 

 ern Ontario early in May, visiting the various feeding resorts along 

 the route, in company with the smaller giills, and retires to the 



