Birds of Canada. 117 



light grayish-blue ; under parts, bluish-gray, of 

 a lighter shade than the back ; legs and feet, 

 crimson ; bill, deep carmine. 



S.frenata. The Least Tern. 



The Least Tern is an irregular visitor. Breeds 

 on the sea coast. Length, nine inches ; color, 

 bluish-gray above ; underneath, white ; bill, 

 orange ; legs and feet, orange-red. 



S.fuliginosa. The Sooty Tern. 



This tern is a regular summer visitor. Head, 

 neck, and abdomen, black ; back and wings, 

 plumbeous-gray. 



5. paridisea. The Roseate Tern. 



The Roseate Tern is an irregular summer 

 visitor in Canada. 



Rliyncliopsnigra, Black Skimmer, or Sheerwater. 



This fowl occasionally visits Lake Ontario in 

 the spring, retiring south to breed in June. 

 Color : head, neck, and wings, black ; throat, 

 breast, and abdomen, white ; legs, scarlet ; 

 length of the upper mandible, three inches and 

 a-half ; of the lower, four inches and a-half. 

 The peculiar formation of its bill, the lower 

 mandible being one inch longer than the upper, 

 enables it easily to obtain its food while skim- 

 ming over the surface of the water. 



