284 POULTRY AND WILD BIRDS 
the gulls spend most of theirs on the water. In flight the terns hold 
their heads pointing downward; gulls hold theirs in line with the body. 
The terns are more noisy and their voices are shrill. The gulls have 
hoarse voices. The terns are even 
more graceful than the gulls. As a 
rule, they are smaller and more slender. 
59 Franklin Gull. Length 14 inches. 
Mostly white with a black head; 
_| often visits prairies and plowed fields 
in search of hoppers and other insect 
food, and is a bird of great value. 
77 Black Tern. Length 1o inches. 
Brack TERN 
This swallow-like little tern often 
gets far away from the water and we may see it slowly skimming over 
prairies and fields. It is almost black, with a white patch under the 
tail. Very small for a bird of this group. S.R. 
40 =Kittiwake. M. and S.R. 64 Caspian Tern. M. and perhaps 
47 Great Black-backed Gull. M. S.R. 
sta American Herring Gull. M.and 69 Forster Tern. S.R. 
S.R. 70 Common Tern. S.R. 
54  Ring-billed Gull. S.R. 71 Arctic Tern. S.R. 
58 Laughing Gull. M. and S.R. 74 Least Tern. S.R. 
60 Bonaparte Gull. M. 
Cormorant Family. — These are 
large birds with long necks, hooked 
bills, and short legs placed so far 
back that they must take an erect 
position when standing and use the 
tail for partial support. When swim- 
ming under water in pursuit of their 
prey of fish they make use of their 
wings as well as their feet. They 
have all four toes connected by webs. 
On the wing they look like large black 
ducks. 
120 Double-crested Cormorant. S.R. DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT 
