58 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
reported it abundant and breeding on the coast of Labrador. 
(Packard.) Occasionally taken on Lake Erie and the south- 
western corner of Lake Ontario. (Mcllwraith.) 
XXVIII. HYDROCHELIDON Bolg. 1822. 
77. Black Tern. 
Hydrochehdon nigra surinamensis (GMEL.) STEJN. 1882. 
Accidental in New Brunswick ; three shot at Grand Manan, 
August, 1879. (Boardman.) A few taken at Quebec. (Dizonne.) 
It is acommon spring and autumn migrant in Ontario, but more 
common west of Toronto. Saunders and Morden report it breed- 
ing abundantly on St. Clair flats and marshes. Its chief breeding- 
grounds,. however, are the marshy districts of Manitoba and 
eastern Saskatchewan, where every marsh has many or few nests, 
and westerly along the boundary to Waterton lake and Lake 
Okanagan, B.C. It extends northwesterly in diminishing. num- 
bers, and breeds in marshes. They were seen by Spreadborough 
on Lesser Slave lake, Alta., and one nest was taken and reported 
by Dall at Fort Yukon, Alaska. We have never noticed it in 
the Rocky mountains, but Fannin observed it on Burrard inlet, 
Gulf of Georgia, in January, 1882, and also in the interior of 
mainland. 
BREEDING Notes.—Abundant at Raeburn, Manitoba and at 
Buffalo lake, Alberta. Specimens and eggs taken at both locali- 
ties. (Dzppie.) Nests very small, floating upon the water among 
the grass in sloughs and marshes. Begins to breed about the 
middle of June in Saskatchewan; usual number of eggs, three. 
On June 15th, 1894, saw a number of their nests in a marshy lake 
near Crane lake, Sask. The nest was a few pieces of rushes with 
a little grass mixed in to keep it from floating apart and letting 
the eggs fall through. Some of the nests were so small and so 
much sunken that the eggs were about one quarter in the water. . 
Found breeding in 1904 ina marsh about nine miles south of 
Albany, James bay. (Spreadborough.) 
I found it breeding at Long lake and Shoal lake in Manitoba. 
It also breeds plentifully at Swan lake in northern Alberta. It is 
a late breeder, seldom having eggs before the middle of June. 
The nests are usually built on dead, floating rushes in shallow 
water and contain three eggs each. (azne.) 
