BIRDS OF MAINE. 21 



Genus STERNA Linmeus. 

 Subgenus THALASSEUS Boie. 



28. (64). Sterna tschegrava Lepech. Caspian Tern. 



A rare but quite regular migrant along the coast. It is not 

 known to breed within our limits. 



County Records. Cumberland, "a bird of the year taken at Richmond's 

 Island in 1895" (Cf. Norton, Proc. Port. Soc. Nat. Histr., Apr. 1, 1897, 

 p. 104); Knox, "very rare'' (Racklift); Sagadahoc, "Aug. and Sept., 

 not plenty" (Spinney) ; Washington, "seen in migrations, rare" (Board- 

 man). 



Subgenus STERNA Linuteus. 



29. (70). Sterna hirundo Linn. Common Tern. 



A very common summer resident along our coast, breeding in 

 colonies on the various grassy islands, often in company with Sterna 

 paradiswa. The eggs of both species are collected and eaten by 

 the fishermen. 



County Records. Androscoggin, "rare migrant" (Johnson) ; Cumber- 

 land, "abundant summer resident" (Brown's Cat. Birds of Portland, p. 

 34) ; Franklin, "migrant" (Richards) ; Hancock, "breeds commonly on 

 many of the islands" (Knight); Kuox, "summer" (Racklift); Oxford, 

 "very rare" (Xash) ; Penobscot, (Hardy); Sagadahoc, "breeds" (Spin- 

 ney); Washington, "abundant" (Boardmau) ; York, (Butters). 



30. (71). Sterna paradissea Brtinn. Arctic Tern. 



Summer resident along the coast. It is associated in the breed- 

 ing season with the preceding species by which it is exceeded in 



point of numbers. 



County Records. Cumberland, "summer resident" (Brown's Cat. 

 Birds of Portland, p. 34) ; Hancock, "summer resident, not common" 

 (Knight) ; Knox, "summer" (Racklift') ; Piscataquis, "migrant about the 

 lakes" (Homer); Sagadahoc, "breeds" (Spinney); Washington, "abund- 

 ant" ( I>oardman). 



31. (72). Sterna dougalli Montag. Roseate Tern. 

 Formerly a rare summer visitor to our southern coast, but has 



not been recorded of late years. Breeds sparingly on Sable Island, 

 Nova Scotia, which is its northern limit. (Cf. Dwight, Memoirs 

 of the Nutt. Ora. Club, No. II, "The Ipswich Sparrow," p. 16). 



County Records. Cumberland, "seen at Green Islands, Casco Bay" 

 (Brewster, Bull. Xutt. Orn. Club, Vol. 4, p. 15) ; Knox, "formerly in 

 summer, now exterminated" (Norton). 



