OF THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 65 



as Lake Ontario. Dr. Wheaton mentions it as of irregular 

 occurrence on Lake Erie, and Dr. Brodie reports it as being 

 found near Toronto. In the month of October, several years 

 ago, I shot an immature specimen as it rose from a piece of drift 

 wood in Hamilton Bay, during a southerly blow of several days 

 duration, which is the only time I have ever seen the species here. 



Genus HYDROCHELIDON Boie. 



HYDROCHELIDON NIGRA SURINAMENSIS (Gmel.). . 



26. Black Tern. 77. 



Adult in breeding plumage ; head, neck and under parts, uniform jet' 

 black ; back, wings and tail plumbeous ; primaries unstriped ; crissum pure 

 white ; bill black. In winter and young birds, the black is mostly replaced 

 by white on the forehead, sides of head and under parts, the crown, occiput 

 and neck behind, with the sides under the wings, being dusky-gray ; a dark 

 auricular patch and another before theeye ; in a very early stage, the upper- 

 parts are varied with dull brown. Small ; wing, 8—9, little less than the whole 

 length of the bird ; tail, 3J, simply forked ; bill, i— ij; tarsus, | ; middle toe 

 and claw, ij. 



Hab. Temperate and tropical America. From Alaska and the Fur 

 countries to Chili, breeding from the middle United States northward. 



No nest. Eggs, on the bog, two or three, brownish olive, splashed and 

 spotted with brown. 



Common to both Continents, extending its migrations far 

 north ; it has been found in Iceland, and according to Richard- 

 son is known to breed in the fur countries. It enters Southern 

 Ontario early in May and often visits the various feeding 

 resorts along the route, in company with the smaller Gulls, and 

 retires to the marshes to raise its young. At St. Clair flats it 

 breeds abundantly, its eggs being often seen apparently neglect- 

 ed, yet they are said to be covered by the female at night and in 

 rough weather. 



In the fall it is again seen moving about with its young, but 

 seems rather tender as it is one of the first to retire to the South 



