The Black Tern 



oozy recesses of an undisturbed swamp, preferably in a flat-boat. Here 

 in some secluded stretch the birds will hover about the intruder, fretting 

 and screaming incessantly. If the water becomes too thick with mud 

 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ and tangled vegetation to admit 

 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ of easy passage, one must be con- 

 tent to strip off and wade through 

 black water, say six inches deep, 

 over black mud one and a half 

 I feet deep, and be prepared as well 

 for occasional plunges into un- 

 charted depths. When one gets 

 Yjtsf "hot" in this ancient game 

 Wf/fySi of hide-the-thimble, the 

 WmT^Jt m os1 interested pair ol 



Taken near Los Banos 

 Photo by the Author 



BLACK TERNS A-WING 



birds will single themselves out from the hovering throng and prepare 

 for defense. Unless their advances are early discouraged, the boldness 

 of these two will increase until they actually strike the intruder on the 

 head, to say nothing of frequent salutations with flying shearn. At the 

 same time the characteristic cry, krik, krik — lighter in character than 

 that of the Forster Tern, but still guttural and harsh — is flatted by anger 

 into kra-ack, kra-ack. 



