172 THE BIRDS OP NEW JERSEY. 



during the fall migrations. Their food consists princi- 

 pally of dragon flies and aquatic insects. 



Tern., Common, Wilson's Tern, or Sea Swallow. 



Length, fifteen inches; extent, thirty inches; bill, one 

 and two-fifths inches long, straight, sharp pointed, crim- 

 son-red at the base and black at the end;, top of head, 

 black; throat, white; back, gray; breast and belly, pale 

 gray; tail, pale lead, edged on the sides with gray, forked; 

 wings, gray, with silvery white edgings; legs and feet, 

 orange red. In winter the front part of the head and the 

 under parts are white. 



There is no pretence whatever of building a nest, the 

 eggs being deposited in dry drift grass where the female 

 covers them during the night and in stormy weather, the 

 rest of the hatching being done by the sun. The eggs 

 are three or four in number, of an olive brown, with 

 brown and purple spots, and one and three-fifths by one 

 and four-fifths inches in size. 



The birds breed along the Atlantic coast as far north as 

 Canada and spend the winter in the South Atlantic States 

 along the coast. They were formerly very abundant in 

 New Jersey and their history here is an able answer to the 

 argument of persons who claim that the killing of birds 

 does no harm. Years ago the coast of New Jersey was a 

 favorite breeding ground for these birds until the edicts 

 of fashion in millinery demanded their feathers; by 1883 

 they had been almost exterminated and no nests were 

 found; then a stringent law was passed prohibiting their 

 killing and now they are again beginning to breed in this 

 state; they are quite numerous during migrations, 

 due undoubtedly to prohibitory legislation against their 

 slaughter passed in other states. 



Their food consists of fish. 



Tern, Forster's. This bird very much resembles the 

 common Tern, being about the same size; the principal 



