THE ARCTIC TERN. 
253 
which perhaps he little deserves, he approaches him 
fearlessly, flying about him with the most unsuspi- 
cious familiarity. We would recommend every visitor 
at the sea-coast to study the habits of these two 
lovely birds. 
Along the shores of Maine, Nova Scotia, or of 
Labrador, the Arctic Tern is seen gambolling in the 
air above the voyager, whose eye is riveted upon its 
graceful evolutions. Now it sweeps over some soli- 
tary green isle, — then, amidst the floating icebergs, 
stoops to pick up some hapless shrimp. Little care 
is required to construct its nest, which is generally 
on a low sand-bank or desert island * and in a short 
time the little Terns burst the shell, hobble toward 
the water, and soon are on the wing, far out at sea. 
The first snow-storm from the Polar lands, however, 
drives before it multitudes of these sprightly and 
daring rovers, to a southern clime. 
This bird is occasionally seen upon the Jersey shore 
in Autumn, whence it departs in early Spring. Some 
follow the windings of the coast up to Newfoundland, 
while others, younger and perhaps more fearful, fly 
inland, passing along the St. Lawrence to the Magda- 
lene islands and the “ ice-bound ” Labrador. 
Audubon remarks that when a female Arctic Tern 
has been killed and floats upon the water, her mate 
will alight upon and caress her, as if she were still 
living. He tried the experiment several times, and 
invariably with the same result. 
A curious fact may be stated here, in reference to 
this genus, — - that all the Terns that breed in the 
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