The Black Tern 



erstwhile pasture, offer all the requisites of stability, lightness, and con- 

 venient size which the birds admire — for a season. But the disintegrating 

 power of the circumambient water is invariably more rapid in action 

 than are the processes of incubation, and the end of that lowly cradle 

 is inevitably tragic. But the birds will not learn, and the houses erected 

 upon these deceitful foundations are as numerous as ever the following 

 year. 







Taken in Washington Photo by the Author 



NEST AND EGGS OF BLACK TERN 



THE EGGS ARE PLACED IN A USURPED NEST OF THE WESTERN GREBE'S 



Better taste was shown by a pair of these Terns which found a float- 

 ing board-end, and proceeded to anchor it forthwith by sedge-stems broken 

 down from either side. This with a turret of plaited stems made a bully 

 house-boat, a cradle fitter than that of Moses. 



The chicks whose portraits appear on Page 1465 were brothers (?) 

 picked up in a Los Bahos swamp. They were industriously clambering 

 over the moss when found, but they soon endeared themselves to our 

 photographic heart by exhibiting a willingness to "stay put." One, when 

 placed upon the water, swam off vigorously until it encountered a small 

 island of scum, whereupon it scrambled aboard and proceeded to settle 



1466 



