470 THE BIRDS OF MANITOBA THOMPSON. 



taken on Lake Winnipeg, June 16 (Humicalt). Breeding on Lake 

 Manitoba, Waterlien River, and Lake Winnipegosis (Macoun). 

 Portage la Prair.e : Tolerably common during spring ami autumn 

 migrations ; a few remain about Lake Manitoba during the summer 

 (Nash). 



There are numbers of terns breeding annually at Shoal Lake; some of them on 

 small, gravelly Islands. These form their nests by removing the gravel, making hol- 

 lows in which they lay their eggs; others of them take up their abode among the 

 reeds and rushes. Here, with great industry and ingenuity, they make their nests 

 of reeds and grass, fixing them in their place to keep them from floating away. 

 When in Lake Winnipeg, in 186i, I observed that the terns which occupied sandy 

 and gravelly islands made their nests as those do on the gravelly islands in Shoal 

 Lake ; and the terns found on the rocky island on the east side of the lake chose for 

 their nests depressions and clefts in the surface of the rocks. These they line care- 

 fully with moss; three or four eggs being laid in each nest; thus exhibiting a 

 remarkable example of instinct, which teaches these little creatures that their eggs 

 laid in soft sand and in loose gravel are safe without any lining to protect them, but 

 that when laid in hollows and clefts of rocks, lining to protect their eggs and young 

 from injury by these hard, and at night cold, materials would be indispensable. (D. 

 Guan.) 



16. Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis. Black Tern, or Marsh Tern. 



Abundant summer resident ; chiefly about the prairie ponds, dead 

 waters; breeding at Pembina ; Mouse Eiver at the boundary (Coues). 

 Winnipeg: Summer resident; abundant (Hine). Abundant in Ked 

 Elver and Selkirk Settlements (Brewer). Prairie Portage; plains of the 

 Souris (Hind). Portage ia Prairie: Abundant summer resident on all 

 the large prairie sloughs, in which they breed; tirst seen, May 11, 

 1884, May 25, 1885; last seen, September 9, 1884 (Nash). Breeding 

 very abundantly in all marshes from Portage la Prairie westward, 

 1879, and in less numbers in tbe wooded region, but generally dis- 

 tributed (Macoun). Carberry : Abundant; summer resident; breeding 

 also in all ponds along the traU from Carberry to Port Ellice (Thomp- 

 son). Brandon : Breeds in great numbers (Wood). Sbell River: 1885, 

 first seen, eleven, on May 18; seen every day afterwards; is common 

 all summer, and breeds here ; Indian name, " K'ask " (Calcutt). 

 Qu'Appelle: Common summer resident; breeds; arrives May 18 (Guirn- 

 sey). Severn House (Murray'. 



On June 11, 1882, went in the morning with two brothers to the lake 

 in the sand hills east ot old Dewinion; saw there large numbers of 

 marsh terns. They appeared to be nesting in a weedy expanse far out 

 in the lake, but it was surrounded by deep water, so that I could not 

 come near it to seek for eggs. The birds came flying over my head, in 

 company with numbers of blackbirds, and resented my intrusion by 

 continually crying in their characteristic manner. 



August 4. The black terns are beginning to gather in flocks ; leave 

 the ponds and skim about over the open prairie. 



On July 8, 1883, went southwest to Smith's Lake; found a number 



