North American Birds Eggs. 



37 



63. Gull-billed Tern, (rrliii-helidon iiilolirii. 



Riin^e. — Found in Nortli America along the GuH Coast ami <in the Atlantic 

 Coast north to Virginia and casually farther. 



This is one of the largest of the Terns, 

 is 14 inches long, has a short, thick, 

 ,-'-'_ ^ .^^ black bill and a short slightly forked 



tail; the crown is black, mantle pearly 

 gray, white below. This species is very 

 widely distributed, being found in 

 Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. 

 They are known locally as "Marsh Terns" 

 : where they breed in immense numbers on 

 some of the marshes about the (tuII, 

 particularly in Texas. They also breed 

 on many of the islands along the Coast, 

 rarely making any nest, but laying the 

 eggs in a hollow in the sand. They nest 

 most abundantly in the latter part of 

 May, generally laying three eggs. They 

 are of a yellowish, grayisli or greenish 

 brown and lilac. Size 1.80 x 1.30. Data.— 

 188i!. Tliree eggs laid on a mass of seaweed 



[Pale trreenish huff.l 



buff color and are spotted with 

 Northhampton Co., Va., May L'8, 



on marsh above title water. Collector, T. S. Hayward. 



64. Caspian Tern. Sti'riin casphi. 



Range. — Like the preceding species, this bird is nearly cosmopolitan in its 

 range, in North America breeding from the Gulf Coast and Texas northward 

 to the Arctic Regions. 



This beautiful bird is the largest of the Tern family, being about 22 inches in 

 length, with the tail forkeil about 1.5 inches. The bill is large, heavy and 

 bright red; the crest, witli which this and the next three species are adornetl, 

 is lihick. The mantle is pale — — — - 



pearl and the under parts '^ '^ ^ », 



white. These Terns some- -» ., '' ^ ' ^ ' ■ - 



times nest in large colonies 

 and then again only a few 

 pairs will be found on an 

 island. In Texas, the breed- 

 ing ■ season commences in 

 May, it being later in the 

 more northern breeding 

 grounds. They may be re- 

 gartled as largely eastern 

 birtis, as while they are com- 

 mon in the interior of the 

 country, they are rarely found 

 on the Pacific Coast. Two or 

 three eggs constitute a com- 

 plete set; these are laid on the 

 sand in a slight hollow scooped out by the birds. They vary from gray to greenish 

 buff, marked with brown and lilac. Size 2.00 x 1.75. Data. — Hat Island, Lake 

 Michigan, July 1, 18!>o. No nest. Two eggs laid in a hollow in the gravel. 

 Fully a thousand terns nesting on about (me acre. Collector, Charles L. Cass. 



:''l ,-!!)■ 



y 



