24 NOTES ON THE 
legs and feet coral red, not so dark as the bill; claws brownish 
black. 
Length, 15; wing, 11; tail, 6; tarsus, 0.75. 
Habitat, North America generally. 
The galloping herd of itinerant ornithologists who have 
been in immoderate haste to see their names in print, and 
enjoy a share of immortality while still warm with enthusiasm, 
have habitually reported this Tern as not breeding here to any 
extent, but more careful and long continued investigations of 
the local history of the species disprove their assumptions. I 
‘am now able to say that while they do not breed here to the 
extent that they do in some exceptional localities like those 
described by Samuels in his ‘Birds of New England,” p 547, 
they are fairly common in the northern sections of the State. 
‘On the flat country approaching the Lake of the Woods they 
are numerous all through the season of breeding, although I 
could not give as much time to securing the eggs while in that 
region in 1887 as I desired, yet enough were to be readily seen 
to prove the past assumptions to be groundlessly made. The 
variations in size were quite striking, but not to be compared 
with the modifications of the markings. 
STERNA ANTILLARUM Lesson. (74) 
LEAST TERN. 
I have been not a little surprised that so few individuals of 
this species have come under my notice during the long years 
of my local observation, and still more so that amongst so 
many earnest collectors so very few have been observed. 
Nevertheless, the species not only come to and migrate 
through the State in considerable numbers, but the (supposed) 
eggs have been obtained in several widely separated sections, 
showing a poner al but not abundant distribution. 
I have said ‘‘supposed eggs” because I do not feel entire 
confidence in their identity for the reason that other Terns 
were also observed, and the second year’s plumage offers many 
difficuities in identification without any extensive series to 
compare with at hand. 
My infamiliarity with the Gulls and Terns makes me speak 
‘with exceptional hesitation. With greater leisure, [ hope to 
be able to speak with more confidence. I will say that I have 
found very few individuals in the fall migrations that were 
mot in immature plumage, but I seldom fail of getting a por- | 
‘tion of the mature in spring. 
I find the average time of their arrival in spring through 
thirty years has been April 27, and almost invariably is then 
