LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS 
t)<j. Forster’s Tern. Sterna forsteri. 
Range. — Temperate North America, breeding 
from Manitoba, Mass., and California, south to 
the Gulf Coast and Texas. 
Length about fifteen inches; tail long and deep- 
ly forked; crown black, back and wings pearl and 
under parts white. Bill orange red. This spe- 
cies and the three following are the most grace- 
ful of birds in appearance and flight. Their move- 
ments can only be likened to those of the Swal- 
lows, from which they get the name of “Sea Swal- 
lows.” Their food consists of fish, which they 
get by diving, and marine insects. They breed by 
thousands in the marshes from Manitoba to Texas 
and along the South Atlantic coast. The eggs are 
laid in a hollow on the dry grassy portions of the 
islands or marshes. They generally lay three 
eggs and rarely four. They are huffy or brown- 
ish spotted with dark brown and lilac. Size 1.80 
x 1.30. Data. — Cobb’s Island, Va., June 8, 1887. 
bank. Collector, F. H. Judson. 
Forsters Tern 
Common Tern 
Eggs in a hollow on grassy 
70. Common Tern. Sterna hirundo. 
Range. — Eastern North America, breeding both on the coast and in the in- 
terior from the Gulf States northward. 
This bird differs from the preceding chiefly in having a bright red bill tipped 
with black, and the under parts washed with pearl. These are the most com- 
mon Terns on the New England coast, nest- 
ing abundantly from Virginia to Newfound- 
land. These beautiful Terns, together with 
others of the family, were formerly killed 
by thousands for millinery purposes, but the 
practice is now being rapidly stopped. In 
May and June they lay their three, or some- 
times four eggs on the ground as do the 
other Terns. They are similar to the pre- 
ceding species but average shorter. Data. — 
Duck Is., Maine, June 30, 1896. Three eggs 
in marsh grass about fifty feet from beach. 
No nest. Collector, C. A. Reed. Buff 
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