BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 23 
margin, the remaining portion of inner webs white; tail bluish- 
gray, except the outer web of the outer tail feather which is 
white, the inner web of this feather blackish-gray for about 
two inches from the end; rump white with a slight tinge of pale 
bluish gray; sides of head, throat, and entire under surface, 
white; bill orange-yellow at the base, black near the end, with 
the tip yellow; legs and feet red. 
Length, 14.5; wing, 10.50; tail, 6; bill, 1.50; tarsus, 1. 
Habitat, North America generally. 
STERNA HIRUNDO L. (70.) 
COMMON TERN. 
From about the 20th of April until the first and second weeks 
in October this species of the Terns may be occasionally seen, 
but never in any considerable flocks, as in the same latitude on 
the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. 
For a few days after their arrival, small flocks are met with 
in the marshes embracing numerous ponds and lakes connected 
by streams and sloughs, but in a few days they seem to have 
all gone, yet the presence of one here and there is unmistaka- 
ble, though even after securing a male on three occasions I 
have failed to flush the female or discover the nest in the sum- 
mer months. 
The taxidermists generally have an individual or two in 
their collections which they confound with two or three other 
species as classified now, but can give no intelligent account of 
where, when, or under what circumstances they were obtained. 
I know nothing more of their local habits or their distribution. 
Their usually accepted description is: 
SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
Upper part of the head and hind neck deep black, tinged 
with brown on the front part of the head; back and wings 
light grayish blue; first primary with the outer web black, on 
the inner web grayish-black next the shaft, this color increas- 
ing in extent towards the end, where it covers the entire web. 
for about one inch, the rest of the inner web white; the next 
five primaries are hoary on their outer webs, and blackish- 
gray on their inner next the shaft, and occupying their entire 
web at the end; margin of the inner webs white; central tail 
feathers very pale bluish-gray, the other white on their inner 
webs and dusky-gray on the outer webs, deepening in color 
from the central feathers until it becomes blackish-gray on the 
lateral ones; sides of the head, throat, rump, and under tail 
coverts, white; breast and abdomen clear, pearl-gray; bill 
coral-red, black near the end, with the tip yellow; iris hazel; 
Loy, 
