LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN GULLS AND TERNS. 301 



Food. — Macgillivray (1852) says: 



It is said to feed chiefly on aquatic insects and worms, especially dragon- 

 flies, motlis, and otlier winged insects, seldom on fishes. 



Yarrell (1871) adds "the larvae of water insects," and Morris 

 (1903) includes "the fry of fish." 

 Behavior. — Yarrell (1871) says: 



In its flight it is more rapid than the black tern, and it is said to have a 

 louder and harsher voice than tliat species. 



Evidently it is closely related to the black tern, and apparently 

 a detailed account of its life history would agree very closely with 

 what we know of our own familiar bird of the western sloughs. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Breeding range. — Central and southeastern Europe from central 

 Russia southward, also westward in Galicia, Hungary, and occa- 

 sionally Bavaria; in Asia, across Siberia to the Amur Valley and 

 southward to Turkestan; in Africa, said to breed in Algeria. The 

 Australian bird has been separated as a distinct subspecies. 



Winter range. — In Africa, south to Cape Colony; in southern 

 Asia and south to Australia and New Zealand. 



Casual records. — Accidental in Denmark, Sweden, and Great 

 Britain. Taken once in West Indies (Barbados, October 24, 1888) 

 and once in Wisconsin (Lake Koshkonong, July 5, 1873). 



Egg dates. — Central Europe : Twenty records, May 17 to June 14 ; 

 ten records, May 28 to June 9. 



ANGUS STOLIDUS (Linnaeus). 

 NODDY. 

 HABITS. 



This dusky tropical species enjoys a wide distribution on both sides 

 of the Equator in both of our great oceans, and shows so little geo- 

 graphical variation that our Atlantic and Pacific birds are scarcely 

 separable. It resorts to many different islands throughout its range 

 to breed, and its nesting habits vary considerably in different locali- 

 ties. Although much has been published regarding its habits during 

 the breeding season we know very little about its life history at other 

 seasons. 



Spring. — Mr. W. E. D. Scott (1891) has published some interest- 

 ing notes by Mr. Charles B. Taylor, regarding the arrival of the 

 noddies on Morant Cays, near Jamaica, from which I quote, as 

 follows : 



At tlie time of ray arrival at the Cays (2d of April) there were no sooty 

 terns there and very few noddies, but these latter increased in numbers daily, 

 until by the lJ)th Oi! April, the date of my departure, they had assembled in 



