538 LA.RIDJE. 



In America this fine Tern is found breeding from Labrador 

 to Virginia, and even to Florida. Mr. Bernard Ross records 

 it from Great Slave Lake and the Mackenzie River, and Mr. 

 E. W. Nelson observed it on two occasions at the mouth of 

 the Yukon River, in Bering Sea. It probably ranges along 

 the entire west coast of North America, as it has recently 

 been obtained by Mr. Forrer in California and North Mexico. 



The Caspian Tern deposits its eggs in May or June on the 

 bare sand, in a slight hollow, which is occasionally lined with 

 a few pieces of shell or bents. They are usually two or three 

 in number ; of a stone-grey or stone-buff, spotted and scrolled 

 with ash-grey and dark red-brown ; average measurements 

 2*55 by 1*7 in. Its ordinary food consists of fish. The 

 note is a loud, harsh krake-kra, which is uttered freely when 

 its breeding-haunts are invaded. It is nearly as partial to 

 brackish lakes as to the sea-shore, and when searching for 

 food it has a characteristic habit of keeping its bill pointed 

 downwards. 



In the adult in summer plumage the bill is vermilion- 

 red, lightest in colour at the point ; irides dark brown ; 

 forehead, all the top of the head and the nape of the neck 

 rich black, the feathers of that colour on the occiput elongated ; 

 lower part of the neck, all round, white ; the back, and all 

 the upper surface of the body, the wings and tail-feathers, 

 ash-grey ; the first six wing-primaries darker at the tips and 

 on the inner webs, with white shafts ; the tail moderately 

 forked; the chin, throat, breast, and all the under surface of 

 the body, pure white ; legs, toes, their membranes, and the 

 claws black, the latter strong and curved. In winter the 

 crown is streaked with black, and there is a patch of dark 

 feathers behind the ear-coverts. 



The whole length of the adults, from the point of the beak 

 to the end of the long feathers of the tail, varies from nine- 

 teen to twenty-one inches : the males being rather larger 

 than the females. From the carpal joint of the wing to the 

 end of the first quill-feather, sixteen inches and a half, the 

 ends of the wings extending considerably beyond the ends 

 of the forked feathers forming the tail. 



