Jan., 1909. Birds of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 301 



If the Royal Tern occurs in Illinois or Wisconsin or even on Lake 

 Michigan, it is a very rare bird. We have no positive evidence of its 

 having been taken in either state. 



"A summer visitant in Illinois." (W W. Cooke, Bird Migration 

 Mississippi Valley, 1888, p. 57.) "Although accredited to Illinois as 

 an irregular or casual summer visitor, it is possible that individuals 

 of the Caspian Tern have been mistaken for it." (Ridgway.) "An 

 exceedingly rare summer visitant to Lake Michigan. A specimen 

 was taken at Milwaukee many years since and preserved in a museum 

 there (Hoy)." (Nelson, Birds N. E. Illinois, 1876, p. 147.) "The 

 only reference to this species as a bird of Wisconsin that we know of 

 is that of Dr. Hoy. * * * pj. jjoy does not mention caspia, 

 which makes us suspicious that the specimen referred to was of that 

 species. Furthermore, we carefully went through the Natural His- 

 tory Society's collection at Milwaukee a number of times between 

 1873 and 1875, ^rid although there used to be an old specimen of 

 caspia there, we never saw or heard of a specimen of maxima." 

 (Kumlien and Hollister, Birds of Wisconsin, 1903, p. 130.) "Rare 

 spring and summer; Lake Michigan." (A. J. Cook, Birds of Michigan, 

 1893. P- 34-) 



25. Sterna forsteri Nutt. 

 Forster's Tern. 



Distr.: North America in general, migrating to the West Indies 

 and South America in winter; breeds on the Atlantic coast as far 

 north as Virginia and in the interior from Texas to Manitoba. 



Adult in summer: Crown, black; upper parts, pearl gray; under 

 parts, white; imter web of outer tail feather darker than outer web; bill, 



reddish orange, tipped with black; 

 feet, yellowish. 



Adult in fall and winter: Bill, 

 dark brown; feet, brown; head, 

 grayish; a dusky black patch on 

 sides of the head, enclosing the eye. 

 Immature in winter: Upper parts, 

 mottled with pale brown or buff. 

 Length, it;; wing, 10.21;; tail, 



Forster's Tern. Fall plumage. ° -^ ° •' 



6.60; tarsus, .90; bill, 1.50. 



Forster's Tern is a common summer resident in both Illinois and 



Wisconsin, its numbers being augmented during the migrations in 



spring and fall. Those that remain to breed generally build their 



nests in the small interior ponds and lakes. The nest is composed of 



