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LESTRIS RICHARDSONII. 



RICHARDSON'S JAGER. 



Lestris Richaxdsonii, Richai'dson's Jager, Sw. & Rich. 



Richardson's Jager, Nuttall. 



Richardson's Jager, Lestxis Richardsonii, Audubon. 



Specific Character — Bill greenish-black, from the frontlet feathers 

 to the point one inch and one-sixteenth ; length of tarsi one inch 

 and nine-sixteenths. Upper plumage blackish-brown, lighter on the 

 hind neck ; lower parts hair brown ; quills and tail black ; shafts 

 of the primaries white, their tips black ; shafts of all the tail feathers 

 white ; at base along the middle dark brown, toward the end black ; 

 length of the middle pair of tail feathers eight inches and three 

 quarters, toward their ends abruptly narrowing, pointed, aud are ex- 

 tended two inches and seven-eighths beyond the others, which are 

 truncated ; legs and feet black. Length nineteen inches and a half, 

 wing twelve and three-eighths. 



The above description is taken from a specimen shot in the vicin- 

 ity of Islip, and is the only individual which I have known to be 

 procured on Long Island. It agrees with the figure given of L. 

 Richardsonii, in the Fauna Boreali Americana, from which we 

 extract the following: 



" This Jager breeds in considerable numbers in the barren 

 grounds at a distance from the coast. It feeds on shelly molusca, 

 which are plentiful in the small lakes in the Fur countries, and it 

 harrasses the Gulls in the same way with others of the Genus," 



On referring to Ornithological works, we find the descriptions 

 given of this class of birds very unlike. The Jagers, alike 

 with the Gulls and Terns, at certain stages appear very different 



It is difficult to procure them, and perhaps from a sufficient 

 number of specimens not being obtained, is the cause of their not 

 being more clearly defined. 



