44 WATER BIRDS 



Nest : A shallow depression scooped in the sand of a beach. 

 Eggs : 2 to 4 ; narrower and more pointed than those of Caspian tern ; 

 grayish, spotted with brown and purple. Size 2.67 X 1.70. 



Concerning the Ro^al Tern, Mr. Frank M. Chapman 

 writes : " It is a strong, active bird on the wing, and a 

 reckless, dashing diver, frequently disappearing beneath 

 the surface in catching its prey. The slow-flying pelicans 

 are at its mercy, and it often deftly robs them of their 

 well-earned gains. 



" All the terns are to be known from the gulls by the 

 very different manner in which they hold their bills. 

 A tern points its bill directly downward and looks, as 

 Coues says, like a big mosquito, while a gull's bill points 

 forward in the plane of its body." 



69. FORSTER TERTSS .— Sterna forsteri. 



Family : The Gulls and Terns. 



Length: 15.10. 



Adults in Summer : Top of head and nape jet black ; upper parts pearl- 

 gray ; under parts, including tliroat and sides of neck, uniform 

 white; bill dull orange, tipped with du.sky; feet deep orange. 

 ' Adults in Winter: Similar, but head white, tinged with gray on nape, 

 and white dusky patch around eyes and ear-coverts ; bill brownish, 

 merging to black at tip ; feet brownish. 



Young: Similar to winter adults, but with top of head, nape, back, and 

 wings washed with dark umber ; distinctly darker at end of tail ; 

 sides of head dusky brownish. 



Dorvny Young : Upper parts pale buffy brown, coarsely mottled with 

 black ; under parts, except throat, white. 



Geographical Distribution : North America generally ; south in winter 

 to Brazil. 



Breeding Range : On Pacific coast from Washington to Lower California ; 

 common at Lake Tahoe, Eagle and Elsinore Lakes, California. 



Breeding Season : Approximately, May 1 to July 20. 



