40 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS EGGS. 



[68. [ Trudeau Tern. Sterna trudeaui. 



Range. -South America; accidental along the coast of the United Sta.tes. 



A rare and unique species with a form similar to the following, but with the 

 coloration entirely different. About fifteen inches in length ; tail long and 

 deeply forked ; bill yellow with a band of black about the middle. Whole head 

 pure white, shading into the pearly color of the upper and under parts. A nar- 

 row band of black through the eye and over the ear coverts. A very rare species 

 that is supposed to breed in southern South America. Given a place among 

 North American birds on the strength of a specimen seen by Audubon off Long 

 Island. 



69. Forster Tern. Sterna for steri. 



Range. Temperate North America, breeding from Manitoba, Mass, and Cali- 

 fornia, south to the Gulf Coast and Texas. 



Length about fifteen inches ; tail long and deeply forked ; crown black, back 

 and wings pearl and under parts white. Bill orange red. This species and the 



three following are the most graceful of 



^~ r^J"*-!-^^ birds in appearance and flight. Their 



movements can only be likened to those 

 of the Swallows, from which they get the 

 name of "Sea Swallows." Their food 

 consists of fish, which they get by diving, 

 and marine insects. They breed by 

 thousands in the marshes from Manitoba 

 to Texas and along the South Atlantic 

 coast. The eggs are laid in a hollow on 

 the dry grassy portions of the islands or 

 marshes. They generally lay three eggs 



[Brownish buff,] and rarely four. They are buffy or brown- 



ish spotted with dark brown and lilac. 



Size 1.80 x 1.30. Data. Cobb's Island, Va., June 8, 1887. Eggs in a hollow on 

 grassy bank. Collector, F. H. Judson. 



70. Common Tern. Sterna hirundo. 



Range. Eastern North America, breeding both on the coastand in the interior 

 from the Gulf States northward. 



This bird differs from the preceding chiefly ^_^^ 



in having a bright red bill tipped with black, 

 and the under parts washed with pearl. 

 These are the most common Terns on the 

 New England coast, nesting abundantly 

 from Virginia to Newfoundland. These 

 beautiful Terns, together with others of the 

 family, were formerly killed by thousands 

 for millinery purposes, but the practice is 

 now being rapidly stopped. In May and 

 June they lay their three, or sometimes four 

 eggs on the ground as do the other Terns. 

 They are similar to the preceding species 

 but average shorter. Data. Duck Is., 

 Maine, June 30, 1896. Three eggs in marsh grass about 

 No nest. Collector, C. A. Reed. 



feet from beach. 



