Birds of Oregon and Washington 209 



sometimes as " Sea Swallows." They are to be 

 seen along our shores in August, and are very 

 graceful of movement and most of them are 

 beautiful in color. 



Two varieties, common perhaps in most locali- 

 ties, are here described ; the Arctic and the Black 

 Terns. 



THE ARCTIC TERN. 



GENERAL DESCRIPTION : 



Upper parts : deep pearl-gray, black cap. 



Under parts: dull lavender-gray. 



Length, 14 to 17 inches. 

 Found on sea-coast and on lakes in late summer. 



On the Atlantic coast such ravages have the 

 plume-hunters wrought among the Terns that 

 the annihilation of one species was thought to 

 have been almost accomplished, while the 

 number of each variety has been greatly re- 

 duced. But at present the whole Atlantic sea- 

 coast is patrolled in summer time by paid agents 

 of the American Ornithological Union (the great 

 scientific Bird Society of the United States), and 

 these beautiful sea-birds are being protected and 

 are multiplying rapidly. May the Pacific coast 



