In America this fine Tern is found breeding from Labrador
to Virginia, and even to Florida. Mr. Bernard Ross records
it from Great Slave Lake and tbe Mackenzie’ River, and Mr.
E. W. Nelson observed it on two occasions at tbe mouth of
the Yukon River, in Bering Sea. It probably ranges along
the entire West coast of North America, asliif has recently
been obtained by Mr. Forrer in ' California and North Mexico.
The Caspian Tern deposits its eggs in May oiCJune on the
bare sand, in a slight hollow, which is occasionally linéd with
afew pieces of shell or bents. They are usually two or-ffeee
in number ; of a stone-grey or stone-buff, spotted and scrolled
with ash-grey and dark red-brown; average measurements
2'55 by T ‘7 in. Its ordinary food - .consists of fish. •'The
note is adoud, harsh krake-Ma, which is uttered1,freely when
its breeding-haiints are-invaded. It is nearly as partial §0
brackish lakes as/to the sea-shore, and when searching for
food it has a characteristic habit of keeping its bill pointed
downwards.
In the adult in summer plumage . the | bilkdsli'vermilion-
red, lightest • in. .colour, at the point gf irides dark’ 'brown;
forehead j alkthetop ofthe: head and the1 nape, of- the heck
rich black, thé feather’s of that colour on the occiput elongated;
lower part of theneeK/ratl found',- white y the back, and- ajl
the upper surface of the bódy,.the;” wings and tail-feathers,
ash-grey’; the first'six 'wing-primariës darker 'at tKglttó and
;oji/theinner webs-, with white, shafts:; «thé tail moderately
forked; .the chin,-throat, breast;; and‘]alLf^h^phder Surface of
the bodyj pufewhita; legs,, to as, their membranes, and the
'claws- black, ’ the latter strong and curviyki In winteto .the
tcrówn’ is’ strea'kè'dr with blacky and there is "a patch' of dark
féathersibehin(Hhe ear-coyqrtjg^b
•The.whole length of t^adults," fromjhe point of the beak
dbtthe%nd eftthe'-tong feathers*,of the tail; varies fromnpne-
teen ’to: dwentyrepe, inches ; the ..males" being .-rather, lar-gèr
than the females. From:the-carpal joint ,of- the wing ta-tbo
end of* the first quill-fepther, sixt.e&i|5incl^es!and a half/the
ends of the wings, extending cohsiderably be^nd /the ends
of the"forked feathers forming the tail.
Young birds of the year, before their first autumn moult,
have the beak of a dpl-l/red, horn-coloured at the point ; ' the
forehead and top of the head white ; the upper surfaoe of
the ..body varied with patches of ashibrown, and darker
transverse bands ; the feathers of the, fail haye dark ends ;
the primary quill-feathers are also dark ; %|U the under- surface
of the bpdÿypure white.
The downy nestling-about a week/élft,'for which the Editor
is indebted to Mr.î|p. Bidwell/'is of a dull white ^mottled
with grey, and the newly^sprouting' feathers on the'wings
are buff-tinted ; bill, and feet yellow, /
The Swïft Tern, Sterna bergiy, Lichtenstein, was recorded
bySSqmp'^W Ânn. N. H. xx. p t h e name of
S.0§lox, Riippy;<a^ havingJpHeep shot at the,epd,of December,
1846, between -Dublin and jHowth. T^e. speppp^p, \|hich
was in full breeding-plumage, became the property of the
lafe Miv "Vfafters’, ahd -was undoubtedly thé "specie|pt was
said to be. "Information ?o“b|ained5 by the Editor when in
Dublin, Wsarn- several se^roeÿ; but espeei^llydfrom the late
Mi ^.RlîJ. Montgomery, so often mentioned in Thompson’s;
^girds of Ireland,’ ffff sf nof^pubt that the .introduction ,of
‘this, specie^ .began yvith dhq - temptation tg play a practical
jo^e, afforded by an imperfeddy- ski^n|d,.>.%’^iHft, spppimep,
purchased witjt nthers-byia yaung 'taxidermist. The limits
ol.humom’ were- pa.s^ed^ when «the perpetrator had£ pdf/the
«m^l^éburage to fefusej.be reW^-d/pre|sed" upon him, and
rdétaüs, 'whiçh.wilï plt/hear ip|léMgàtioiL. wuv ‘inw nUd to
?Jjbstajitaate the ' original, statement^ The. prnft—Tern is a
!f|rge J'intërtropicâî3 spçgieà' yvhicb has never ï>èen knowhyto
fetkggle to any part qf: Europe, noi /ëyen^Wthe’ntn'tli .coast,
^ ‘Africa wedLof LwdLFgypt. Major E.-A. Butler found
fit "breeding dpdhe island of Astolah, off the coast .of Baldch-
istahRrky.F^i^i^,^i;Ç ' Th&' :|6 ^ j ^ h a s ^ ^
mantfe /and tail of a. in byhedp^-plumage
the'biack/crown' i&jS.èpdrâted fro^Jjhè bill by a broad"white,
frontlet. 1