NO. 2298. THE OUANO BIRDS OF PERU—COKER. 461 



about one, now and again making startling dashes straight for the 

 head, to swerve sharply aside when within but a few feet. The 

 desire to investigate seemed at first the probable motive for such 

 flight. They were observed to practice the same maneuvers over 

 our captive penguin swimming in the water. It is possible that 

 such sudden startling dashes would have the effect of causing larger 

 birds or animals to drop a morsel of food which could be seized upon 

 by the alert terns. 



The plaintive call of the Inca tern is somewhat like the cry of a 

 young kitten; although sometimes petulant, it lacks the harsh tone 

 of other terns. 



The breeding places of zarcillos are found on many islands; gen- 

 erally they were observed to use the trenches or other places where 

 the surface crust had been broken away in guano extraction, and where 

 the nests could readily be concealed by excavatmg little tunnels 

 in the bank (pi. 54). Nests with all stages of eggs and young were 

 observed at the Chincha Islands (North Island) in Jime, 1907. One 

 of the most populous breeding places was the Isla Asia visited in 

 August of the same year. I have no record of nests observed in 

 the summer season although' doubtless there is little interruption of 

 the breeding season. 



None of the terns have any noteworthy value as producers of 

 guano. A native described the Inca tern as good to eat. 



The skimmer, RyncJiops cinerascens Spix, doubtless frequents the 

 northern islands although I did not observe it near any island. A 

 spechnen was taken at Tumbes in January, 1908, where it was not 

 imcommon. Both Tschudi and Raimondi noted its presence at the 

 Chincha Islands (pp. 507 and 508, below). 



THE ALBATROSS. 



The albatrosses are represented by the "pajaro-carnero" (mutton- 

 bird), or "pajarote," Diomedea irrorata Salvm, a beautiful bird, with 

 dusky brown body and white head and neck, little exceeding a cormo- 

 rant in size of body, but with wing expanse of 8 feet (2 J meters) (pi. 53, 

 fig. 2). The specimen shown in the illustration was captured when 

 wounded on the ocean and was kept in captivity for some time. 

 Naturally it did not lend itself to domestication and it never con- 

 sented to take food. The albatross was always seen either flying 

 low over the water or resting upon the surface. Its wing strokes 

 seem slow and deliberate, but the flight is rapid and graceful. It will 

 soar for considerable distances, keeping just above the water and 

 rising and falling with the waves. When resting on the water, and 

 at a distance, one might easily confuse it with a gaviota; but at 

 nearer range its flight and its longer biU readily distinguish it. The 

 pajaro-carnero was observed from the Bay of Independencia in the 



