. American ornithology for the home and school . AMERICAN ORNITHOLOG\. 153 LEAST TERN. A. O. U. No. 74. (Sterna antillariim.) RANGE. The Least Tern may be found breeding in favorable localities fromCalifornia, Minnesota, and New England Length, 9 in.; extent, 20 in.; tail, in., forked for about half of itslength. Eye, brown. Bill and feet, yellowish, the former tipped withblack. Back, wings and tail, pearl gray. Two outer primaries, of head black, separated from a black line that extends from thebill through the eye by a white crescent across the forehead
. American ornithology for the home and school . AMERICAN ORNITHOLOG\. 153 LEAST TERN. A. O. U. No. 74. (Sterna antillariim.) RANGE. The Least Tern may be found breeding in favorable localities fromCalifornia, Minnesota, and New England Length, 9 in.; extent, 20 in.; tail, in., forked for about half of itslength. Eye, brown. Bill and feet, yellowish, the former tipped withblack. Back, wings and tail, pearl gray. Two outer primaries, of head black, separated from a black line that extends from thebill through the eye by a white crescent across the forehead and con-tinuing up to the eye. Sides of head and under parts pure white. Inwinter the bill is black and the black of the crown is broken up into afew streaks. The mantle of the back is much darker than in AND EGGS. (. The Least Tern builds no nest whatever, and often even does nottake the few moments necessary to scoop a small hollow in the sand,but will lay her eggs upon the beach among stones and pieces of color of the eggs harmonizes remarkably well with that of thesandy beach and it is very difficult to see them even at a short breeding range is now limited to the few localities where theyhave not always been harassed to death, and islands along the Atlanticcoast where they formerly nested by hundreds are now desolate. The eggs most commonly have a buff ground color and are speckedevenly over the surface with black, brown and lilac markings. Thetwo or three eggs which they lay are deposited early in June. HABITS. Although this species is the smallest of the American Terns, it isnone the less dexterous upon the wing. Its much shorter and lessdeeply forked tail, rather serve to detract from its grace of movement,when compared to some of the larger varieties. While this di
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1901
