LARIDa'E — THE GULLS AND TERNS — STERNA. 307 



though some nests are found to have three, and some four, eggs. When four are 

 found they are never alike ; when three, they are sometimes alike, and sometimes one 

 of them differs both in shape and color. Where there are only two, they are usually 

 very much alike. 



The male feeds its mate while she is sitting, and may frequently be seen carrying 

 fish to the island, which is often found deposited near their nests. The young bird 

 begins to run soon after it is hatched, and when disturbed, it leaves its nest and hides 

 among the stones, or in grass and weeds. When the young one is large enough to 

 fly, the parent takes it out alone to practise flying. At first it ventures only a few 

 rods, but soon is able to fly a mile or more, b\it always accompanied by the old bird ; 

 the latter never taking more than one of her young out with her at the same time. 

 The islet on which these birds breed contains a quarter of an acre of upland covered 

 with grass and weeds ; and while they were thus engaged they were not disturbed. 

 During the month of June only the eggs laid on the stones and sand below the 

 upland — averaging in number a hundred or more a day — were collected, and they 

 are said to be much nicer in flavor than those of the domestic Fowl. The young 

 birds reach their growth by the 20th of August, and their stay after September 1 

 depends upon the abundance of their food. When fish is plentiful they remain until 

 the first of October. They feed entirely on fish, which they catch by diving. They 

 are greatly troubled by the depredations of Hawks, and in one year — 1863 — the 

 birds were driven aAvay before their young were ready to fly. The Duck Hawk seems 

 to be their most troublesome enemy. 



The eggs of this species have a ground-color of a pale buffy drab, varying to a pale 

 grayish green. The spottings are of a lilac-gray and blackish brown. Five eggs from 

 New England present the following variations in measvirement : 1.55 by 1.15 inches ; 

 l.GO by 1.15; 1.70 by 1.25 ; 1.75 by 1.20; 1.75 by 1.10. 



Sterna aleutica. 



THE ALEUTIAN TERN. 



Sterna aleutica, Baird, Trans. Chicago Acad. Nat. Sci. I. 1869, 321, pi. 31, fig. 1 (Kadiak). — Dali, 

 & Bank. ib. 307. — Coues, Key, 1872, 322 ; Check List, 1873, no. 572 ; 2d ed. 1882, no. 803 ; 

 Birds N. W. 1874, 696. — Saunders, P. Z. S. 1876, 664. — Eidgw. Nom. N, Am. B. 1881, 

 no. 689. 



Sterna Camtschatica, "Pall.," Finsch, Abh. Nat. IIL 1872, 85 (not of Pallas). 



Hab. Coast of Alaska from Kadiak to Norton Sound. 



Sp. Char. Adult, in summer : Upper half of head and nape deep black, the forehead white, 

 this color extending back about .50 of an inch medially, and about twice as far, or to the posterior 

 angle of the eye, laterally, the black forming a stripe across the lores, from the eye to the bill. 

 Upper parts deep plumbeous-gray, the primaries slightly darker, with white shafts, the inner webs 

 mostly white, with a broad stripe next the shaft, and a narrow edging, of plumbeous. Tips of 

 secondaries, upper and lower tail-coverts, tail, cheeks, malar region, chin, and entire lining of 

 the wing, including maxillars, pure white ; remaining lower parts pale pearl-gray, fading insensibly 

 into the white of the chin and crissum ; plumbeous of the rump very abruptly defined against 

 the white of the upper tail-coverts. Bill and feet deep black ; iris brown. Don-nij young (No. 

 97160, St. Michael's, Alaska, July 29, 1880 ; E. W. Nel-^ion): Above, rather light sooty brown, 

 confusedly marbled or mottled with dusky, the head with the light brown predominating, and the 

 dusky markings more distinct. Forehead, chin, entire throat, and sides of the neck, uniform sooty 

 slate ; jugulum and breast pure white ; sides, flanks, abdomen, and anal region, sooty gray. Bill 

 pale yellowish brown (flesh-color in life), with black tip ; legs and feet pale yellowish brown (flesh- 

 color in life ?). No. 97162, same locality and date, differs in having the ground-color of the upper 



