LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN GULLS AND TERNS. 219 



along the east coasts of Central and South America to Patagonia., 

 On the Pacific coast, from central California (San Francisco Bay) 

 southward to Peru. Also on the west coast of Africa, from Gibraltar 

 to Angola. 



Spring migration. — First arrivals reach North Carolina early in 

 April, and Virginia during the last week in May. 



Fall migration.— hast birds leave Virginia about the middle of 

 September, but they linger in North Carolina until late in November. 



Casual records. — Stragglers in summer wander northward along 

 the Atlantic coast, sometimes as far as Massachusetts (Nantucket 

 Island, July 1,1874). 



Egg dates. — North and South Carolina: Thirty records, May 15 

 to June 28 ; fifteen records, June 20 to 26. Texas : Sixteen records, 

 April 8 to June 18; eight records, May 13 to 20. Mississippi and 

 Louisiana: Eight records, May 18 to June 19; four records, May 

 19 to 29. 



STERNA ELEGANS Gambel. 

 ELEGANT TERN. 



HABITS. 



This beautiful tern well deserves its name, for in color, form, and 

 behavior it is certainly one of the most elegant of our sea birds, the 

 most exquisite member of the charming group of " sea swallows." 

 'Unfortunately, owing to its remote habitat, it has been seen in life 

 by very few ornithologists. Many handsome specimens have found 

 their way into collections, but the dried skin can give but a faint 

 impression of the grace and beauty of the living bird. Not all of 

 the few collectors who have explored the coasts of the peninsula of 

 Lower California have succeeded in finding it, and still fewer have 

 seen it on its breeding grounds. Consequently very little is known 

 of its life history and habits. Probably Mr. Wilmot W. Brown, jr., 

 has been more successful than anyone else in the pursuit of this rare 

 species, and we are indebted to him for practically all that we know 

 in regard to its nesting habits. 



Nesting. — Mr. Brown obtained a fine series of the eggs of this 

 species for Col. John E. Thayer (1911a), who published a brief 

 account of its nesting habits on Cerralvo Island, Lower California. 

 He says : 



The nests were slight depressions in the sand on the beach about 20 yards 

 from the surf on the protected or land side of the island. 



The eggs " were taken April 9 and 15, 1910. Most of the eggs 

 were slightly incubated. One egg is generally what they lay, some- 

 times two, but only rarely." 



