BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. a 
Superior; but it has only been within a few years that I have 
felt any measure of assurance that they also breed about some 
of the inland lakes. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
Head and upper part of neck grayish-black, this color extend- 
ing rather lower on the throat than on the neck behind; lower 
part of neck, under plumage, rump, and tail, white; back and 
wings clear bluish-gray; first primary black on outer web; 
inner web of the same, both webs of the second, and the outer 
web of the third, white; inner web of the third, and all the other 
primaries the same color as the back; the six outer primaries 
have their ends black for the extent of about one inch on the 
central ones, but less on the first and sixth, and they are tipped 
with white slightly; shoulders, anterior borders of the wings, 
and outer webs of the primary coverts, white; bill deep black; 
inside of mouth carmine; iris hazel; legs and feet orange, with 
a reddish tinge. 
Length, 14.50; wing, 10.50; tail, 4.35; bill, 14; tarsus, 1.25. 
Habitat, whole of North America. 
STERNA TSCHEGRAVA LeEpEcHIN. (64.) 
CASPIAN TERN. 
Until within a few years I have believed this Tern was only 
a rather common migrant, but I have the evidence that the 
species remains through the summer in many localities. Mr. 
Lewis entertained this belief as long ago as in 1876, having 
found the young birds in a visit to Polk county in July. It has 
been my privilege to do the same at a little later date, yet pre- 
sumably too early for the migration of the young, and I am 
therefore entertaining the confident expectation of finding the 
nest in due time. 
Usually, about the first of May, or possibly a little earlier, 
the Caspian Tern makes its appearance, and for only a short 
time is seen passing rapidly from lake to lake in search of its 
favorite food, the fresh-water mussels, with which the margins 
of the marsh-land streams and lakes abound. The flight isa 
marvel of gracefulness, ease, and unwearied maintainance, 
never failing to arrest the attention of any one at all interested 
in the birds There is no marked difference in their numbers 
in the autumnal southward movement, which commences 
generally about the 20th of September, at which time, how- 
ever, individuals continue to be seen occasionally about the 
larger lakes like Mille Lacs, Red lake, Shatek, etc., until near 
