TERNS 33 



pairs there, June 1-5, 1914, but all the eggs had been washed 

 away by a heavy sea. 



Food habits. — The food of the least tern has been found to 

 consist chiefly of small fishes, with about 5 per cent of crusta- 

 ceans.f 



BLACK TERN; "SEA PIGEON": Chlidonias nigra suri- 

 namensis (Gmelin).J 



State records. — The black tern is an abundant migrant and 

 transient visitant, chiefly along the coast, but is not known 

 to breed in the State. At the west point of Dauphin Island, 

 May 19, 1911, 1 found a flock of more than a hundred of these 

 terns in their handsome black spring dress, standing quietly 

 in close ranks on a mud flat, or when alarmed, taking wing 

 and flying a short distance. At the same place and on Petit 

 Bois Island, July 4-5, 1913, 1 found the species fairly common, 

 most of those seen being young birds. Peters saw 6 birds on 

 Petit Bois, June 1 and S, 1914, and Outsell found the species 

 there in great abundance, July 26 to 29, and August 28 to 

 September 1, 1911. 



Black terns are frequently seen during migration in the 

 interior of the State, about the rivers, lakes, and ponds. Dr. 

 Avery noted a few at Greensboro in July, 1888, and September 

 11, 1893; and McCormack has observed them a number of 

 times at Leighton (August 10, 1892; August 18, and Septem- 

 ber 5-23, 1893) . On September 5 and 6, 1893, flocks of 20 to 

 75 were seen. Mrs. B. R. Samuel has a specimen taken at 

 Guntersville late in September, 1912. 



This species arrives from the South in April or early in 

 May and remains into June, but at that season is not very 

 common. In the fall migration it arrives from the North 

 early in July and is extremely abundant locally during August 

 and September. In August, 1911, Outsell found these terns 

 abundant on Petit Bois Island, roosting on the east point of 

 the island in flocks which blackened the beach. "From late 

 afternoon till dark," he says, "these flocks come with ever 

 increasing frequency and of ever increasing size, so that just 



■fMcAtee, W. L., Farmers' Bull. 497, U. S. Dept. Agr., p. 24, 1912. 

 iBydrochelidon nigra sarinamensis of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of nanx 

 see The Auk, vol. 37, p. 440, 1920. 



2— B 



