Page:Bird-lore Vol 06.djvu/157

 A Visit to the Lake Erie Terms

5)! GERTRUDE FAY HARVEY

with phnloEmphs from nature by Rounr F, GRIGGS

EN and Chickens, or, to speak more deﬁnitely, Old Hen, Big Chicken, Little Chicken and Chick, form an insigniﬁcant group of islands in western Lake. Erie. They are quite devoid of at-

traction to all save the naturalist, a fact for which he is duly grateful.

Old Hen contains several acres of ground, is fairly well wooded, and has a boat»landing and a farm-house which is occupied during the sum- mer season. The Chickens are barren gravel piles in the midst of the water, offering neither food not shelter to any living thing. They are the home of the Terns, for whom a mere resting-place is sufﬁcient, and who ﬁnd on these stones the things most needed—seclusion and freedom from pursuit. These Terns, known as the Common or Wilson’s Tern, or more picturesquely, Sea Swallow, are of the same species as those which frequent the Atlantic coast.

Terns, unlike Gulls, which are seldom seen except in open waters, haunt the shores and bays, and are familiar to all who visit the lake- cities and islands. They soar slowly over the water at the side of ex- cursion boats. often with bills directed downward, watching for their prey. Suddenly one descends, thrusts its bill into the crest of the wave and rises in an easy gliding curve—unsuccessful. Judging from the number of attempts the birds make before capturing one ﬁsh, their way of life must be difficult indeed. They perch on the poles where ﬁshermen spread their nets; they travel tirelessly back and forth and around, singly or in groups, one of the loveliest and most distinctive features of our lake scenery. The glistening pearly feathers and wide-extended wings, the red of bills and feet. the sharp contrast between the shining black of crown and neck and the shining white of throat and breast, attract the attention of the most careless observer. They live entirely on small ﬁsh, and are as harmless as Hummingbirds Like Hummingbirds, too, they have been sacriﬁced chieﬂy to the plumeehunter’s greed and women‘s thoughtlessness. The dainty birds are very effective as ornaments; and what do the women know, or the plume-hunters either, of the gentle- ness, beauty and charm of the wild, living Tern?

Birds like these, which ﬁnd their food and make their homes away from the haunts of men, seem peculiarly at the mercy of an invader when tracked to their homes. Their eggs and young are on the open ground. The parent birds, panic-stricken by the strangeness of the attack, hover helplessly about, merely uttering their distressful cries. A single Catbird will make a brave ﬁght for her young. Several together are afraid of nothing on earth. These thousands of Terns, with strong

(:22)