546 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



" This species I first met on the shores of Cape May, particularly 

 over the salt marshes, where it was darting down after a kind of 

 large black spider, plenty in such places. This spider can travel 

 under water, as well as above, and, during summer at least, seems 

 to constitute the principal food of the present Tern. In several 

 which I opened, the stomach was crammed with a mass of these 

 spiders alone : these they frequently pick up from the pools, as well 

 as from the grass, dashing down on them in the manner of their 

 tribe. Their voice is sharper and stronger than that of the Com- 

 mon Tern ; the bill is differently formed, being shorter, more 

 rounded above, and thicker ; the tail is also much shorter, and less 

 forked. They do not associate with others, but keep in small 

 parties by themselves. 



" This species breeds in the salt marshes. The female drops her 

 eggs, generally three or four in number, on the dry drift grass, 

 without the slightest appearance of a nest : they are of a greenish- 

 olive, spotted with brown." 



STERNA CASPIA. — Pallas. 



The Caspian Tern. 



Sterna Caspia, Pallas. Nov. Com. Petr., XIV. 582. Lawr. Ann. Lye. N.Y., 

 V. (1851) 37. 



Description. 



Adult. — Forehead, crown, sides of the head, and occiput, black, glossed with 

 green ; this color extends below the eye, under which is a narrow white line ; back 

 and wings light bluish-ash ; the six outer primaries dark slate-gray on their inner 

 webs ; quill shafts strong and white ; tail and its upper coverts grayish-white ; neck 

 and entire under plumage pure white ; bill and inside of mouth bright vermilion ; 

 legs and feet black; bill very stout; tail not deeply forked. 



In the young, the back, wing coverts, and tail, are mottled and barred with black- 

 ish-brown. 



Length, twenty-one and a half inches; extent of wings, fifty-one; from flexure, 

 sixteen and three-quarters; bill, from base, two and seven-eighths; tail, six inches. 



JIab. — Coast of New Jersey northward. 



I include this species on the above authority. Its habits 

 are unknown to me. 



STERNA WILSONII. — Bonaparte. 



Wilson's Tern. 



Sterna Urundo, Wilson. Am. Om., VII. (1813) 76. Nutt Man., II. ;1834| 271. 

 Aud. Orn. Biog., IV. (1838) 74. lb., Birds Am., VII. (1844) 97. 



