22 CONNECTICUT GEOL. AND NAT. HIST. SURVEY. [Bull. 



The only recent record is that of L. C. S., who saw an adult in 

 breeding plumage, followed by a young bird, at Branford, Sept. 

 I, 1904. 



Larus Philadelphia (Ord). Bonaparte's Gull. 



A rather rare late fall migrant and occasional winter resident 

 on the Sound. Rare inland. 



Earliest record. New Haven, Nov. 10, 1883, Oct. II, 1889 

 (L. B. W.) ; Stamford, Sept. 15, 1904 (Schaler). 



Latest record. New Haven, Dec. 29, 1884, Jan., 1887 (F. F. 

 Coe). 



Inland records. Litchfield, July 1, 1892 (examined by L. B. 

 W. and E. S. W.) ; Sept. 24, 1895, four (E. S. W.) ; April, 1905 

 (in coll. of Litchfield Sci. Soc.) ; x Haddam Neck, Nov. 17, 1900 

 (in coll. of J. H. S.) ; Wallingford, fall, 1874 (eight seen by W. 

 F. Lane). 2 



Summer records. Litchfield, July 1, 1892 j 1 Saybrook, Aug. 

 8, 1896 (A. Taylor, in coll. of J. H. S.). 



Formerly " quite common about Faulkner's Island, Conn., in 

 October and November " and occasionally seen " at Goose Island 

 in the summer ". 2 



Subfamilv Sternin^e. Terns. 



Sterna hirundo Linnaeus. Common Tern. 



A rather rare though formerly common 3 summer resident, 

 breeding in a few small colonies on islands in the Sound and in 

 the extensive salt marshes of the eastern part of the state. 



Breeding sites. Prior to 1898, when the Government took 

 over Great Gull Island on Long Island Sound for coast defense 

 fortifications, this island was the location of a colony of 7000 terns. 

 Since their dispersion at this time they have taken all the available 

 islands off the Connecticut shore for nesting sites, where from one 

 to a dozen pairs may be found every season. These include 

 Goose I. (near Faulkner's I.), Duck I. (near Saybrook), Goose 

 Rock (south of Niantic), Waterford I. (Niantic Bay), Two Tree 

 I. (Millstone Point), Liddy's I. and Rocky I. (near Stonington) 

 (Hill). A few formerly bred on Goose Island. 3 



ijob, The Sport of Bird Study, p. 289. 

 2 Merriam, Birds of Conn., pp. 132-3. 

 s Merriam, Birds of Conn., p. 133. 



