TERNS 
169 
dusky; orbital and auricular regions dusky blackish; remainder of the head, 
extreme lower part of the nape, and entire lowerparts white, the nape and 
sometimes the breast, finely mottled with buffy gray; back, scapulars, wing- 
coverts, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail pale pearl-blue, the back and 
scapulars overlaid with pale buff irregularly mottled with dusky, each 
feather with a submarginal dusky V-shaped mark; primary coverts and 
primaries dark bluish gray edged with paler, the inner webs of the latter 
broadly edged with white; tail-feathers, marked near their ends much like 
the longer scapulars, their outer webs rather dark grayish; bill brownish 
dusky; feet dusky.” L., 15-50; W., 9*50; T., 7*50; B., 1*50 (B., B., and R.). 
Range. — Temperate and tropical regions. Breeds locally from Sable 
Island to L. I. and from the Bahamas to Lesser Antilles and Venezuela; 
formerly from Maine to Fla.; rare migrant in Cen. Am.; winters from the 
Bahamas to Brazil; accidental in Ohio; occurs on the coasts of a large part of 
the E. Hemisphere. 
Long Island, formerly uncommon but regular S. R., May through Sept. 
(Dutcher). N. Ohio, casual T. V. 
Nest , as in Common Tern. Eggs , 3, not distinguishable with certainty 
from those of S. forsteri or S. hirundo, but averaging paler and less heavily 
marked, 1*65 x 1*20. Date , Cobb’s Is., Va., May 13, 1871; Muskeget Is., 
Mass., June 7. 
This species is found in small numbers associated with colonies 
of Common Terns, apparently making its nest among theirs. It is a 
less excitable, wilder bird than hirundo , and its single harsh note, cack f 
may be distinctly heard above the the uproar of Common Terns, as it 
hovers somewhat in the background. Its white breast and long outer 
tail-feathers also aid in distinguishing it. 
74. Sterna antillarnm (Less.). Least Tern. Ads. in summer . — ■ 
Forehead white, lores and crown black; back, tail and wings pearl-gray; 
outer web of outer primaries and shaft part of inner web slaty black; under- 
parts white; bill yellow, generally tipped with black; feet orange. Ads. in 
winter. — Top of head white, more or less spotted with black; back of head 
black; bill blackish. Im. — Upperparts and tail at end mottled with blackish 
and buffy, primaries as in adult, underparts white, bill blackish. L., 9*00; 
W., 6*90; T., 3-50; B., 1*10. 
Range. — Tropical and temperate Am. Breeds on coast of s. Calif, and 
on Gulf coast from Tex. eastward; also n. to Mo. (formerly to Iowa) and nw. 
Nebr., has occurred in Wise, and S. D.; breeds also from the coasts of 
Mass., Va., N. C., and Fla. s. to the Bahamas, W. Indies, British Honduras 
and Venezuela; now rare, but formerly abundant in the breeding season 
from Fla. to Maine, wandering to Lab. and N. F. ; in migration occurs on 
the coasts of L. Calif, and w. Mex.; winters from the Gulf coast to Venezuela 
and Peru. 
Washington, casual T. V.; Long Island, T. V., formerly abundant S. R., 
now rare. N. Ohio, common S. R. in Sandusky marshes, May 10-Sept. 25. 
SE’. Minn., rare T. V., Aug. 29. 
Nest , a slight depression in the sand. Eggs , 3-4, buffy white, speckled or 
spotted with chocolate, 1*25 x *90. Date , Matanzas Inlet, Fla., May 18, 
1894; Cobb’s Is., Va., May 28, 1886. 
The Least Tern was brought so near the verge of extinction by mil- 
liners’ collectors that in spite of protection it has never recovered from 
the attack. There is a small colony oh Martha’s Vineyard, and they are 
found breeding locally in small numbers from North Carolina south- 
ward. 
Small size is always a good character in identifying this species, and 
