36 NESTS AND EGGS OF 



and Roseate Terns, the Laughing Gull and others. Mr. W. W. Worth- 

 ington, of Shelter Island, New York, writes me the following : 



"Although a few Wilson's Terns breed on nearly every sandy 

 point near here, Gull Island, situated a mile or so east of Plum Island, 

 is their chief breeding ground in this section. Here they breed by 

 thousands, fairly filling the air when you land and disturb them. Their 

 nests are always placed on the ground or rocks, and are usually com- 

 posed of a few pieces of grass and seaweed. They place their nests 

 all over the Island above high water line, on the beach, on the sides of 

 the bluffs, all around, and in the garden cultivated by the light-house 

 keeper. Fresh eggs can be obtained there from the loth of June to 

 the middle of July, as egging parties keep them cleaned off about as 

 fast as they are laid. I collected a set of four eggs of this species on 

 Gull Island, last spring (1881), which is the only set I ever saw con- 

 taining more than three eggs, which is the usual number laid." 



The eggs vary from greenish to deep brown, spotted and blotched 

 with brown, blackish and lilac; they vary in length from 1.49 to 1.75 

 by 1. 18 to 1.30 broad. 



71. Sterna paradisgea Brunn. [687.] 



Arctic Tern. 



Hab. Northern Hemisphere; in North America breeding from Massachusetts to the Arctic regions 

 and wintering southward to Virginia and California. 



In its general appearance and habits, its mode of nesting, flight, 

 and other characteristics, this species closely resembles the Common 

 Tern. Its distribution is, however, more northern, breeding in the 

 most northern latitude, where 6". hirundo is found only in limited num- 

 bers. The eggs are indistinguishable. 



72. Sterna dougalli Montag. [688.] 



Ruseate Tern. 



Hab. Temperate and tropical regions; north on the Atlantic coast of North America to Massachu- 

 setts, and casually to Maine. 



On the Atlantic coast of North America this beautiful species is 

 found breeding from Maine southward to Florida. It is known also 

 by the name of Paradise Tern. On some of the islands of the New 

 England coast this species breeds in abundance, notably on Muskegat, 

 Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard and Elizabeth Islands. In many places 

 it breeds in colonies with the Common and Arctic Terns and the 

 Laughing Gull. On a small island, called Goose Island, about three- 

 quarters of an acre in extent, situated in Long Island Sound, and a 

 short distance from Faulkner's Island, Mr. M. B. Griffing found this 

 species nesting in abundance. The high land is from two to six feet 



