LIFE HISTOEIES OF NORTH AMERICAN GULLS AND TERNS. 207 



a good breeze blowing, They were stout little swimmers and, soon paddled 

 back to land. 



With the return of the main colony of Caspian terns I had exceptional oppor- 

 tunities to watch the feeding of the young. The adult Oaspians carry fish' 

 food to the island directly from the sea. The single fish was carried crosswise 

 in .the bill and seemed to be about from 2 to 3 inches in length. The fish are 

 minnows of different species, and at no time did they seem to swallow this 

 food before allowing the young to have the food; that is, the parent bird 

 did not first eat and partially digest the finny delicacies. The male ( ?) wings 

 his way in from the adjacent waters with the fish crosswise in his bill. The 

 moment he lands on the island there is a commotion among all .the young 

 terns. As a rule the rightful heir would seize the fish before it would leave 

 the parent's bill and unhesitatingly get the fish by the head ; then with one 

 or two gulps it would disappear head first, and nine times out of ten if the fish 

 was of considerable length, say about 3 or 4 inches, the youngster would keel 

 over on its back, with its little red feet frantically waving in the air, the 

 fish's tail also waving about (for the caudal fin and that end of the fish pro- 

 truded about three-quarters of an inch), while the process of digestion started. 

 However, this display on the part of the little tern lasted only about three 

 or four minutes, and while the little fellow was lying on its back it displayed 

 the writhings of a person suffering from suffocation; but once back on its 

 feet the little Caspian would besiege the parent bird for more fish. 



The adult Caspian has a very decided note, and while I fully appreciate no 

 bird's call or cry can be properly imitated by the printed word, to me they 

 called " ca-arr, ea-arr, ca-arr, ca-arrrrrrrr." The young know the call of its 

 parents. I was very much amused in watching a little fellow that had selected 

 a slight hole within 2 feet of my blind to take a sun bath. Here it would lie as 

 still as death until it would hear the particular " ca-arr " of its own ma or pa. 

 Then it would suddenly come to life, and, opening wide its little red beak, 

 would chirp loudly in reply and rush about waving its little wing stumps in a 

 most grotesque manner. The parents would make a few circles above their 

 little one and alight or fly off after seeing it was safe. An incident that would 

 frequently happen in the afternoon was that a little fellow would seek its hole 

 and lie still until the " ca-arr " cry which it knew best would again be heard, 

 then it would suddenly be galvanized into instant action. The young, when 

 frightened, utter a peculiar whistling note. 



Toward their own young the Caspian terns are very tender. However tender 

 they are toward their own offspring they are extremely brutal toward the 

 young of others, and I frequently saw the young ones mauled and flung about 

 by the parent birds of other young. The young Caspians have no recreation 

 save that of eating and sleeping. They do not flock together save when com- 

 mon danger threatens. In fact, according to my observations, it is extremely 

 dangerous for little Billy Caspian to play with a little Charlie Caspian next 

 door, for as sure as he does Charlie's ma is quite likely to knock the visitor 

 down and jump on him with black feet, to say nothing of the thrashing" she 

 gives with the elbows of her wings. Such treatment arouses the parents of 

 little Billy Caspian, who rush to the rescue with hoarse cries and there is 

 much ado in the ternnery, in which red bills and white wings play a prominent 

 part, and black crests pointed straight out behind. 



Plumages. — The downy young varies on the upper parts from 

 dark grayish buff or " vinaceous buff " to " cartridge buff " or pale 

 grayish white. The throat is very pale dusky and the remainder of 



