40 



North American Birds Eggs. 



[68. [ Trudeau Tern. Strnia friidcani. 



Range. -South America; accidental along the coast of the United States. 



A rare and unique species with a form similar to the following, but with the 

 coloration entirel.v different. About fifteen inches in' length ; tail long and 

 deeply forked ; bill yellow with a band of black about the middle. Whole head 

 pure white, shading into the pearl}' color of the upper and under parts. A nar- 

 row band of black through the eye and over the ear coverts. A very rare species 

 that is supposed to breed in southern South America. Given a place among 

 North American birds on the strength of a specimen seen by Audubon off Long 

 Island. 



69. Forster Tern. Sfrrna fnrstcri. 



r 



Range.— Temperate North America, breeding from Manitoba, Mass. and Cali- 

 fornia, south to the Gulf Coast audTe.xas. 



Length about hfieen inches ; tail long and deeply forked ; crown black, back 

 and wings pearl and under parts white. Bill orange red. This species and the 



three following are the most graceful of 

 , .-_ .^"'"^ birds in appearance and Hight. Their 



-•'*^*' _y ^ . *'^ movements can only be likened to those 



/"^^ 1 ** .'■^•J • ''*it»"l^ "* t^i*^ Swallows, from which they get the 



« -.-^ ^- w- % name of "Sea Swallows." Their food 



consists of fish, which they get by diving, 

 and marine insects. They breed by 

 thousands in the marshes from Manitoba 

 t(5 Texas and along the South Atlantic 

 coast. The eggs are laid in a hollow on 

 the dry grassy portions of the islands or 

 marshes. They generally lay three eggs 

 and rarely four. They are buffy or brown- 

 ish spotted with dark brown and lilac. 

 Size 1.80 X 1.30. Data.— Cobb's Island, Va., June H, 1887. Eggs in a hollow on 

 grassy bank. Collector, F. H. Judson. 



Vtiijw nisli bult ] 



70. Common Tern. Stenidhintiido. 



Range. — Eastern North America 

 from the Gulf States northward. 



This bird differs from the preceding chietiy 

 in having a bright red bill tippeil with black, 

 and the under parts washed with pearl. 

 These are the most common Terns on the 

 New England coast, nesting abundantly 

 from Virginia to Newfoundland. These 

 beautiful Terns, together with others of the 

 family, were formerly killed by thousands 

 for millinery purposes, but the practice is 

 now being rapidly stopped. In May and 

 June they lay their three, or sometimes four 

 eggs on the ground as do the other Terns. 

 They are similar to the preceding species 

 but average shorter. Data. — Duck Is., 

 Maine, June .30, 189(). Three eggs in marsh 

 No nest. Collector, C. A. Reed. 



breeding both on the coast and in the interi(.)r 



grass about 



IIJliH.I 

 fifty feet from beach. 



