THE ARCTIC TERN. 253 



which perhaps he little deserves, he approaches him 

 fearlessly, flying about him with the most unsuspi- 

 cious familiarity. We would recommend every visitor 

 at the sea-coast to study the habits of these two 

 lovely birds. 



Along the shores of Maine, Nova Scotia, or of 

 Labrador, the Arctic Tern is seen gambolling in the 

 air above the voyager, whose eye is riveted upon its 

 graceful evolutions. Now it sweeps over some soli- 

 tary green isle, • — ■ then, amidst the floating icebergs, 

 stoops to pick up some hapless shrimp. Little care 

 is required to construct its nest, which is generally 

 on a low sand-bank or desert island ; and in a short 

 time the little Terns burst the shell, hobble toward 

 the water, and soon are on the wing, far out at sea. 

 The first snow-storm from the Polar lands, however, 

 drives before it multitudes of these sprightly and 

 daring rovers, to a southern clime. 



This bird is occasionally seen upon the Jersey shore 

 in Autumn, whence it departs in early Spring. Some 

 follow the windings of the coast up to Newfoundland, 

 while others, younger and perhaps more fearful, fly 

 inland, passing along the St. Lawrence to the Magda- 

 lene islands and the "ice-bound" Labrador. 



Audubon remarks that when a female Arctic Tern 

 has been killed and floats upon the water, her mate 

 will alight upon and caress her, as if she were still 

 living. He tried the experiment several times, and 

 invariably with the same result. 



A curious fact may be stated here, in reference to 

 this genus, — that all the Terns that breed in the 



