Dr. E. Coues on Central-American Laridse. 887 



bank of mangroves, — the atol having, as it were, a double reef, 

 the inner covered with trees, the outer broken here and there 

 with a small island. Looking eastward, I noticed a clear light 

 in the sky, and calling Sam's attention to it, he said it was the 

 reflection of the "white water" of Lighthouse Reef. This 

 appearance arises from the white reflection cast by the breakers 

 and the sandy shallows adjoining. .On reaching Grassy Cay, 

 Lesser Terns {Sterna antillarum) rose in a cloud as the anchor 

 dropped. Our visit was well timed, as above a hundred pairs 

 had assembled to lay. Numbers of nests were already occupied, 

 each containing one, two, or three eggs; they were simply 

 depressions in the sand scratched out by the bird. A few 

 Roseate Terns {Sterna paradisea) also frequented the island, as 

 well as the White Ibis {Eudocimus albus) and a Ring-Plover 

 {j^gialitis wilsonianus) , of which I found two nests. On an 

 adjoining Cay were old nests of the large White Egret {Herodias 

 egretta) ; and skulking amongst the mangroves I saw a " Boat- 

 bill" {Cancroma cochlearid). We also came upon some nests 

 of the Ibis in the mangroves, but no eggs. One more day 

 took the schooner through the lagoons of Turnefi^, across the 

 channel to English Cay, and so back to Belize, bringing one of 

 the pleasantest fortnights I ever enjoyed in Central America to 

 an end. A few days more, and I was again bound for the 

 interior ; my spoils for Europe. 



XXXII. Notes on certain Central-American Laridse collected by 

 Mr. Osbert Salvin and Mr. F. Godman. By Elliott Coues, 

 M.A., M.D. 



A COLLECTION of Central American Laridce having been kindly 

 transmitted to me, at the Smithsonian Institution, for examina- 

 tion, by my friend Mr. 0. Salvin, I have made the following 

 identification of its species *. 



* The collection transmitted to the Smithsonian Institution, which Dr. 

 Coues has been so kind as to name, did not include all the species we 

 collected, nor all the specimens. I selected from the whole such a series 

 as would enable me to identify with accuracy the remainder ; and only 

 omitted to send three well-known species, viz. Chroicocephalus atricilla, 



