North American Birds Eggs. 



41 



7 1. Arctic Tern. Strrna paradisH'Ci. 



Range.— Northern Hemisphere, breeding from New fhigland northward to 

 the Arctic Regions and wintering south to California and the Soutli Atlantic 

 States. A simihu- bird to the last, differing in having the bill wholly red and 

 the feet being smaller and weak for the size of the liird. A more ncjrthern liird 

 than the last, breeding abundantly in Alaska, both on the coast and in the 

 interior. In the southern limits of its breed- 

 ing range, it nests in company with the 

 Common Tern, its nests and eggs lieing 

 indistinguishable from the latter. When 

 their nesting grounds are approached, all 

 the birds arise like a great white cloud, 

 uttering their harsh, discordant "tearrr, 

 tearrr," while now and then an individual, 

 bolder than the rest, will swoop close by 

 with an angry "cack." On the whole they 

 are timid birds, keeping well out of reach. 

 The nesting season is early in June. Eggs 

 like the preceding. Data. — Little Duck 

 Is., Me.. June 29, 1896. Three eggs in a 

 slight hollow on thelieaeh, three feet above 

 high water mark. 



7 2. Roseate Tern. Sterna (hiuijalU. 

 Range.— Temperate North America 



l<;rayish 



browiiis 



England to the Gul 



These are the most beautiful liirds, having 

 a delicate pink blush on the under parts 

 during the breeding season; the tail is very 

 long and deeply forked, the outer feathers 

 being over five inches longer than the middle 

 ones : the bill is red with a black tip. They 

 nest in large colonies on the islands from 

 ; Southern New England southward, placing 

 the nests in the short grass, generally without 

 any lining. They lay two or three eggs which 

 are indistinguishable from the two preceding 

 species. Data. — Egg Is., Buzzards Bay, 

 Mass., June (i, 1899. Three eggs in scant 

 nest of grasses hidden under wild pea vines 

 and grass on higher part of the island. 

 Collector, Charles E. Doe. 

 Sterna alentira. 



73. Aleutian Tern 



Range. — Found in summer in Alaska and 

 the Aleutian Islands. 



South in winter to Japan. This handsome 

 Tern is of the form and size of the Common 

 Tern, but has a darker mantle, and the fore- 

 head is white, leaving a black line from the 

 bill to the eye. They nest on islands off the 

 coast of Alaska, sometimes together with the 

 Arctic Tern. The eggs are laid upon the 

 bare ground or moss, and are similar to the 

 Arctic Terns, but average narrower. They 

 are two or three in number and are laid in 

 June and July. Size 1.70 x 1.15. Data.— 

 Stuart Is., Alaska. Three eggs in a slight 

 hollow in the moss. 



i 



on the east coast, breeding from New 



/^-^' 



[(irayish or brownish.! 



