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black bill. Wilson, who met with specimens at Cape May, iti^ 

 forms us that on the salt marshes it breeds, laying three or four 

 eggs of a greenish-olive color, spotted with brown, on the dry drift 

 grass, without any appearance of a nest. " The food of this spe- 

 cies, during summer, consists chiefly of large black spiders, which 

 abound on the salt marshes. Their voice is sharper and stronger 

 than that of the common Tern ; the tail much shorter and less 

 forked. They do not associate with others, but always keep in 

 small parties by themselves." In this vicinity it is rare ; during 

 mv excursions I have never met with it. 



STERNA TRUDEAUII— AUD. 



TRUDEAU'S TERN. 



Specific Character — Bill at base yellow, anterior to the nostrils 

 black; toward the end yellow, length from the frontlet feathers lo 

 the point one inch and a half; length of tarsi seven-eighths of an 

 inch ; tail deeply forked, the lateral feathers exceeding the next, 

 longest three inches ; wings long, pointed; general plumage light 

 grayish-blue. Adult with the head, upper tail coverts, throat, 

 rump, shoulders, and lower wing coverts white ; a dusky spot ante- 

 rior to the eye, and a band of the same color behind the eye ; upper 

 and lower parts light grayish-blue, the tail feathprs lighter ; tail 

 deeply forked, the lateral feathers about even with the Avings ; quills 

 hoary, the outer vane of the first primary quill dusky — a band of 

 the same on the inner web next the shaft, the next more faintly 

 marked with the same ; the outer six quills, with their inner webs 

 toward their margins (which are white) dusky ; feet orange. 

 Length sixteen inches, wing eleven and a half. 



The discovery of this species is due to Doctor Trudeau, who shot 

 several specimens at Absecom Beach, Egg Harbor. It is com- 

 paratively of recent discovery, and does not seem to be a very 

 abundant species. The only Ornithological work in which I have 

 seen it noticed, is the Synopsis of Mr. Audubon. The young I 

 have never seen, and with us the occurrence of the adult is not 

 frequent. 



