176 L E A S T TERN.
observed this Tern on the waters of the Ohio in autumn, and now and
then in spring, atthe latterperiod in company with the Short-tailed .SEero,
Sterna nigra, and have again met with it on the shores of Lake Erie.
1 haw also found it in whiter oit thé eastern coast of the b'loridas, but
in small numbers. Few birds indeed sèeiii t.. me to be so irregular in
their migratory movements, for they appear to stop at any convenient
breeding place from Texas to Labrador.
This species in some of its habits resembles the Marsh Tern of
Wilson, which I feel certain is thçffîïmet cmgiïca of Moxtaix. The resemblance
is especially manifesto« peculiar manner in which it
seizes insects »while on wing over^rpools of salt marshes and elsewhere,
where it.is fond of. rambling?«tenever fc weather is at all
fine or pleasantly warm. J| [then plunges toward'-the • ground or the
water, and, lite a true Flycatcher, fshatchesijits piey unawares from
the tops of the; grasses, or whilst flying over the shallow green-mam!od
Few birds are more gentle than tliis delicate species is at times ; for,
apparently unaware ¿f danger fr,.1,1 the vicinity of man, it allows him to
approach within a few yards, whether it.be'om wing or On. the ground.
Indeed, in the latter case, I have- spew it when, gorged«! reluctant to
' fly off that I have more than once thought it was asleep although on
coming up I was always disappointed it. my attempts to catch it. Nothing
can exceed the lightness .of: the flight of this bird, which, seems
toflLto be among water-fowls,: the analogue of the Humming-bird.
Th§y move with great swiftness at times, at others' balance themselves
like hawks over tlioir prey, then dart with the velocity of thought
1 .,4g, procure the tiny; i f beneath the surface .of the waters., When
•you invade their breeding place, they will Sometimes: sweep far away,
and suddenly return, coming so near as almost to strike you. While
travelling, their light but firm ¡light is wonderfully sustained; .ani on
hearing and seeing them on such occasions, one is tempted to believe
them to be the happiest of the happy. They >eein as if marshalled
and proceeding to a merry-making,*;, gaily do.they dance along, as if
to the music of their own lively cries. ,Now yo^see the whole group
suddenly check their onward speed, hover over a deep eddy Supplied
iiiunborlesp, shrimps, and dash headlong ..11 thfeir prey. .Up
rises, th® little: thing with tee shrimp in its bill, and again down it
plunges ; and®s movements are so light and graceful that you look on
LEAST TERN. 177
with pleaMej and are in no haste to depart. Should this scene bo enacted
white they have young in their.company, the latter await in the
air the rise of S t e n t s , meet them, andVeeive the food from
them When all are satiated, they proceed on their journey, stopping
at another similar but distant plica.; .
Although along our Southern and Middle Districts, the Least Tern
merely scoops a very slig^hoUow in which to deposit its eggs, doing
this from the first of April to the first^f June, according to the
latitude of the place, those which I found brèedingpi the coast of
Labrador had formed very snug fe'iis, composed of short, fragments of
dry moss, well matted together, i|fiid nearly of the size of that of the
American Rollili, Turdvs wigratoriu*; while those met with on the islands
near th£ Bay of Galveston, were observed to have laid their eggs upon:
the dry drifted weeds which appear«, to have been gathered by them
for the purpose. The n<& iire generally placed out. of reach of the
ti,Jes1,'but on ¿.mCpceasior.s I have known thè hopes of a whole colony
destroyed b'y;the sudden overflow of their selected places caused by
a severe gale, and have observed that,, om such occasions, their clamour
was as great ^s_if they had been robhed of their eggs by man.
The number of deposited by this species' is more frequently
three than four. Like those of most other. Terns, they differ somewhat
in size and markings, although I rover found any so large as
those described by VVn.sox, who states , that they measure nearly an
inch and three quarters in lengths which would better agree with the
eggs of the Common Tern. average of a basketful was found to
be. one inch and two and a half eighths in length, by seven and a half
eighths inbreacLth. They are rather pointed at the smaller end, and
their ground colour is pale yellowish-white, blotched with irregular
dark brown, spots, intermixed with others of a duE purplish tint.
,,:%have found this Tern breeding among Shearwaters along the Florida
éiiasfe and my friend the Reverend John Bacbman has observed
the saini- circumstance nn the " Bird's Banks," on the coasts of South
Carolina, where it is abundant, as well as on Sullivan Island.
The common note of our Least Tern resembles that of the Barn
Swallow,when disturbed about its nest, being as smartly and rapidly
repeated at times. When it proves convenient for it to alight on the
ground or on a sand-beach, after it has secured a prawn or small fish,
it dsgs So, and there devours its prey piecemeal, but it more usually
VOL. Svi: M