32 THE CHICAGO ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



flew a few rods and fell into the Lake about thirty rods from 

 shore. It was in perfect breeding dress, as was shown by the 

 black markings on the head, each time it was raised while strug- 

 gling in the water. A gale from off shore soon drifted it from 

 sight."* 



While this gull is an Arctic species, it is known to visit 

 the regions of the Great Lakes and may again be observed in 

 our vicinity. 



Genus STERNA Linnaeus, 1758. 



Sterna caspia Pallas. Caspian Tern. 



Sterna tschegrava LEPECHIN, Nov. Comm. Petrop., XIV, 1770, 500, pi. 



13, fig. 2. 

 Sterna capia PALLAS, Nov. Comm. Petrop., XIV, 1770, 582, pi. XXII, 



fig. 2. 

 Popular synonym : BIG MACKEREL GULL. 



A not uncommon fall visitant in this vicinity. A few are 

 seen and captured each fall at Millers, Indiana. Mr. E. W. 

 Nelson reports seeing a "fine specimen fishing along the Lake 

 shore at Waukegan," on the ninth of June, 1876. 



The Caspian Tern is a nearly cosmopolitan species, and in 

 North America it breeds southward to "Virginia, Lake Michigan, 

 Texas, Nevada and California." 



Sterna forsteri Nuttall. Forster's Tern. 



Sterna forsteri NUTTALL, Manual, II, 1834, 274 (Footnote). 



Sterna havelli AUDUBON, Orn. Biog., V, 1839, 122, pi. 409, fig. 1 (young 



in winter). 

 Popular synonyms : HAVELL'S TERN. STRIKER. 



'Of late years this bird is a rather uncommon spring and fall 

 visitant. It is said to have bred in Illinois many years ago, 

 when it occurred in numbers with the Wilson's or Common Tern 

 (Sterna hirundo). It arrives early in April but remains only a 

 short time. It returns from the last of July to the middle of 

 August, when it remains for a variable period. A few dates on 

 which specimens of this species have been taken may be of in- 

 terest. I obtained one at South Chicago, May 6, 1893, and Mr. 

 J. Grafton Parker, Jr., captured one at Millers, Indiana, on Au- 

 gust 13, 1896. 



Forster's Tern is quite generally distributed over North 

 America, and in winter it is found as far south as Brazil. 



*Bulletin Essx Institute, Vol. VIII, 1876, 147. Bulletin Nuttall Ornithological 

 Club, Vol. I, 1876, p. 41. 



