/ .v. .///,. ii ado, IM 



species (kit u. iv collected in south I.' M 



H- re the eggs aiv laid in similar situations 



l.y tin- common Mack tern, the eggs la-ing lail mi dead :' 



in-; rusli.-s in S\\;H,,J,S. Tin- \\ hit.- u in^-d Mack tern 



ds in Asia Min>r, and in southern Kur-.j,.- It occasjon- 

 ally occurs in (ii ,in. l.iit does n,,t hived th. 



I came across a nmiiU-r of coot s nests. I, in .|i.| m>t take any 

 ,,. ee^rv, as tli'-y ai- nt \\nrth llo\vin^,anl I lial cul|i-ct-'l 

 tluvi- s,-ts tin- lay ]>i-i-\ ioiisly. 'I'ln- in-^ts .-n-,. usually lai 

 in<,' stnictun-s. an<l t'ouiul in watn- t\v> r tlin-- I'.-, t 'l.--|,, ami 

 tln-y an- ancli. ! t< ^r.\vin^ nisln-s. 



Tin- iif\t tin<l iif inijiortann- was a n-st aiul si i tin- 



n-il-in-rki-.l g I'd. n.-st \\ as a ilalnp mass ,,\ .|,.r.-iy.-.| 



tation tloatiiifj on tin- surt'ac-- <>f tin- uat--r aiii"ii-st tin- 

 rtishrs, ami tin- '-^ifs wi-ri- (vi-ri-'l with j^rass anl s-.l^,. s . 'n,,- 

 aiv lai-^.-i- than tlmsi- of tin- h<>nn-l ami i-arnl ^jn-ln-s, hut 

 similar in aj>jn-aranci- l..-in^ staim-il with tin- <lfcay ( -.| 

 vegrtatimi. ami havi- als,. tin- Usual chalky surt'ac.-. Th.-y 

 in sj/,- -2.'2~>\ I ..'{">. A numluT >f tin-si- l.ir.ls l.r^-i-.l at 

 L-ik-. ami m must of tin- lak.-s of Manitoba, an<l a 

 tin- Saskatrhrwan Kiv.-r. It is ;l |s,, t'miml in Alaska. 



ral Franklins ^nlls Ki'^an to tly alMiut my ln-al. 

 iming, AS I a|jina<-hi-i| a thick cluni| of nishi-s. an-l S.H.M 

 uar-U I i-.ini'- across a numlii-rof thrir m-sts. Tin \ v 

 huilt in tUs,sM-ks ,,f rush.-s. ami w-n- malc of si-.lir,. s ami aquatic 

 plants. The numlH-r of c^* t'ouml in a nest was twc. \- tl 

 ami most of them wnv advanced in inculiation, while >c\,-ral 



contai 1 youn^ liinls in down. Tin- t-^^s an- darker than 



most ..tlier LTulls; the <rn>uii<l colour varies from li^ht Krown to 

 olive-. Irali with sluwles of ^-een ami ashy: they an- - 

 t'-d ami splashed with various shades of In-own, chiefly at the 

 ml. and soiue ha\.- /i^-/a^ lines ,,f l,r,,wn iiist. ad of 

 The eggs can be distinguished from those of honu- 

 gull liy their larger si/e, av.-raging '2 . li'xl 4<> Frank- 

 lin's gillls ar. 1 - ailtiftll l-irds and s,-\ ,-ral adult sjx'cimens 1 

 shot had their 1-ivnsts and unlerparts deejily tinted with rose 

 pink. The I, inl is common throughout Manitol-a. and !.! 



