﻿144 
  

  

  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Hirundo 
  

  

  Paradisaea 
  

  

  First 
  primaries 
  of 
  terns 
  

  

  Distinctive 
  marks. 
  This 
  tern 
  resembles 
  the 
  Arctic 
  and 
  Forster 
  terns 
  

   but 
  may 
  be 
  distinguished 
  from 
  the 
  former 
  by 
  the 
  color 
  of 
  its 
  bill, 
  which 
  is 
  

   black 
  at 
  the 
  tip 
  for 
  one 
  third 
  of 
  its 
  length, 
  its 
  tarsi 
  are 
  longer, 
  its 
  primaries 
  

  

  have 
  less 
  white, 
  and 
  the 
  white 
  

  

  line 
  of 
  feathers 
  along 
  the 
  base 
  

   of 
  the 
  upper 
  mandible 
  scarcely 
  

   extends 
  to 
  the 
  feathered 
  point. 
  

   It 
  is 
  distinguished 
  from 
  Forster 
  

   tern 
  by 
  the 
  color 
  of 
  its 
  streamers, 
  

   which 
  are 
  white 
  on 
  their 
  inner 
  

   webs 
  and 
  gray 
  on 
  the 
  outer, 
  while 
  

   the 
  reverse 
  is 
  the 
  case 
  in 
  Forster. 
  

   The 
  adult 
  specimens 
  of 
  the 
  Com- 
  

   mon 
  tern 
  also 
  have 
  pearl-gray 
  

   underparts 
  in 
  summer, 
  instead 
  

   of 
  white, 
  and 
  their 
  feet 
  and 
  legs 
  

   are 
  redder. 
  

   Distribution. 
  The 
  Common 
  tern, 
  Wilson 
  tern, 
  or 
  Sea 
  swallow 
  is 
  an 
  

  

  abundant 
  transient 
  visitant 
  along 
  the 
  shores 
  of 
  Long 
  Island, 
  and 
  is 
  still 
  

  

  a 
  common 
  summer 
  resident 
  in 
  the 
  protected 
  colonies, 
  especially 
  on 
  the 
  

  

  north 
  and 
  south 
  ends 
  of 
  Gardiners 
  

  

  island, 
  and 
  on 
  Fishers 
  island, 
  where 
  

  

  wardens 
  are 
  maintained 
  b\^ 
  the 
  

  

  Audubon 
  Societies 
  and 
  the 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  

  

  It 
  foraierly 
  bred 
  along 
  the 
  shores 
  

  

  of 
  Long 
  Island 
  in 
  great 
  numbers, 
  

  

  and 
  as 
  late 
  as 
  1882 
  Mr 
  Dutcher 
  

  

  found 
  it 
  nesting 
  at 
  South 
  Oyster 
  

  

  Bay 
  in 
  considerable 
  numbers 
  ; 
  in 
  

  

  1883 
  it 
  was 
  becoming 
  scarce, 
  and 
  

  

  in 
  1884 
  very 
  few 
  were 
  left 
  at 
  that 
  station. 
  In 
  1885 
  they 
  bred 
  all 
  over 
  Little 
  

  

  Gull 
  island, 
  in 
  1888 
  only 
  300 
  pairs 
  were 
  left, 
  and 
  now 
  they 
  have 
  deserted 
  

  

  that 
  station 
  entirely 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  disturbance 
  caused 
  by 
  the 
  neigh- 
  

  

  Farad 
  

  

  Dougalli 
  

   Outer 
  tail 
  feathers 
  of 
  terns 
  

  

  