LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS 



69- FORSTER'S TERN. Sterna forsteri. 



Range. Temperate North America, breeding 

 from Manitoba, Mass., and California, south to 

 the Gulf Coast and Texas. 



Length about fifteen inches; tail long and deep- 

 ly forked; crown black, back and wings pearl and 

 under parts white. Bill orange red. This spe- 

 cies and the three following are the most grace- 

 ful of birds in appearance and flight. Their move- 



Forsters Tern 



Common Tern 



Eggs in a hollow on grassy 



Brownish buff 



ments can only be likened to those of the Swal- 

 lows, from which they get the name of "Sea Swal- 

 lows." 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 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, 

 bank. Collector, F. H. Judson. 



70. COMMON TERN. Sterna hirundo. 



Range. Eastern North America, breeding both on the coast and in the in- 

 terior 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 com- 

 mon Terns on the New England coast, nest- 

 ing abundantly from Virginia to Newfound- 

 land. 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 some- 

 times four eggs on the ground as do the 

 other Terns. They are similar to the pre- 

 ceding species but average shorter. Data. 

 Duck Is., Maine, June 30, 1896. Three eggs 

 in marsh grass about fifty feet from beach. 

 No nest. Collector, C. A. Reed. 



53 



I 



Buff 



