84 TERNS. 



tlic background. Its white breast and long outer tail-feathers also aid 

 in distinguishing it. % 



74. Sterna antillarum ( Ltt*.). LEAST TERX. Ad. in tummer. 

 Forehead white, lores and crown black; back, tail, and wings pearl-gray ; 

 outer web of outer primaries and shaft part of the inner web slaty black; 

 under parts white; bill yellow, generally tipped with blink; feet orange. 

 Ad. in winter. Top of head white, more or less spotted with blaek ; buck <>f 

 head black; bill blackish. Jin. I'pper parts and tail at the end mottled 

 with blackish and buffy. primaries us in the adult, under parts white, bill 

 blackish. L., 9-00 ; W., 6-90 ; T., 3'50; B., 1-10. 



Range. Northern South America northward to California, Dakota, nnd 

 Massachusetts, rarely to Labrador; breeds locally throughout its range, and 

 winters south of the Unite. 1 > 



Washington, casual T. V. Long Island, ran- in summer. 



Egg*, three to four, bufl'y white, suckled or sjM.tted with chocolate, 

 1-25 x -90. 



Tliis. the smallest of our Terns, resembles its congeners in habits, 

 though it is said to add insects to its usual fare of fish. Its vi.iiv is 

 described a " a sharp squeak, much like the cry of a very young pig 

 following its mother." 



75. Sterna fuliginosa '/'. S..,,TY TKUV. Ad. Forehead and a 



line reaching to the eye white, lores and n->t <>t' the head blaek: nape, back, 

 and wings brownish block, nearly as dark as the head; outer tail-feathers 

 white, brownish on the end half of the inner web; rest of tail-feathers of the. 

 same color as the back; under parts white; bill ami feet blaek. ////., frxt 

 plumage. Sooty slate-color; linings of the winirs and under tail-coverta 

 whitish ; wing-coverts, scapulars, upper tail-coverts, and tail-feathers more or 

 less tipped with white. L., 17-00: W., ll-f)0 ; T.. 7 -'" : I'... 1'7">. 



li'ftnye. Tropical and subtropical regions: in North A meriea breeds rarely 

 as far north its North Carolina; occasionally wanders northward to Maine; 

 winters south of the I'nited States. 



Long Island, A. V. in summer. 



/.;/.'/*, one to three, whitish or buff, speckled or spotted with chocolate, 

 2-00 x 1-45. 



A regular slimmer visitant to our southern coasts and occasionally 

 wandering northward. It breeds in colonies in little-frequented islands 

 in the West Indies, and may be seen fishing in flocks, which hover 

 low over the water. 



The BRIDLED TEUN (76. Sterna antrthftuf,), a tropical species, has been 

 taken once in Florida, but may prove to be a regular summer visitant to some 

 of the Florida keys. 



77. Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis (Gmfl.}. BI.ATK TKKV. 

 A<1. in fti/iiinr. Whole head nnd under parts, except under tail-coverts, 

 black ; back, wings, and tail slate-color ; bill and feet black. Ad. in winter, 



