TERNS 



(70) Sterna hirundo 



(Linn.) (Lat., a swallow). 



COMMON TERN; WILSON'S 

 TERN; SEA SWALLOW. Under 

 parts strongly washed with grayish. 

 Bill and feet vermilion-red, the for- 

 mer with a black tip. Outer web 

 of outer tail feathers darker than 

 the inner. L., 14.50; W., 10.50; T., 

 6.00, forked 3.50; B., 1.35. 



Rmige — Breeds fromN. Car., Ohio, 

 and N. Dak., Keewatin and Ungava. 



(71) Sterna paradisaea Briinn. 



CLat., paradise). 



ARCTIC TERN. Feet remarkably 

 small and weak. Bill wholly red in 

 summer. Tail longer and more deep- 

 ly forked than the last. L., 15.50; 

 W., 10.50; T., 8.00, forked 4.50; Tar., 

 .60; B., 1.30. 



Range — Breeds from Mass., Kee- 

 watin and B. C. northward. 



It is a delightful moment for any nature-lover to stand 

 in the midst of a tern colony; to see the groups of two, three 

 and sometimes four eggs, scattered about in every favorable 

 situation, perhaps every two or three feet, so that he may 

 count fifty or more nests without moving ; and to watch the 

 graceful maneuvers of the myriads of black-capped, bright- 

 eyed birds as they dart, dash, swoop and sail about you, 

 each protesting ^^dth a strident voice against your presence. 

 The deep, vibrant, purring "tear-r-r-r" proclaims the iden- 

 tity of a Common Tern, even though you do not see him, 

 while the harsher, reedy "cack" gives evidence that Roseate 

 Terns are mingled in the throng of fluttering birds. 



The eggs of these four species are practically indistin- 

 guishable, and are very variable in color. The markings 

 are blotches of black, brown, gray and lilac, but the ground 

 color may be creamy, bluish, greenish or brownish; some- 

 times, but rarely, eggs of different colors may be found in 

 the same nest. 



SI 



