Scott on Birds at Long Beach, K J. 227 



58. Stercorarius pomatorhinus. Pomarine Jakger. — Two of 

 these birds were taken in the bay in December, 1876. 



59. Lams marinus. Ghe.vt Black-backed Gull. — A regular 

 winter visitant ; quite common. 



fiO. Lams argentatus. Herring Gull. — The most abundant of the 

 Gulls in fall, whiter, and early spring. 



61. Lams delawarensis. Ring-billed Gull. — Most abundant of 

 thr winter Gulls, after L. argentatus. 



62. Larus atricilla. Laughing Gull. — Common ; breeding. First 

 seen about May 1. On June 28 I found them breeding commonly at 

 Brigantine Beach, about forty miles south. 



63. Sterna maxima ? Royal Tern. — On August 23 I saw two 

 specimens, an old and a young bird, which I can ascribe to no other spe- 

 cies than this.[*] I was quite near the birds, but unfortunately had no 

 means of procuring them. The bay men tell me that large Terns are 

 sometimes abundant the last of September. 



64. Sterna fluviatilis. Common Tern. — Abundant, breeding on 

 the islands in the bay and on the salt marshes, but never passing over the 

 sand-hills to nest. They arrived May 12 in numbers, and by the last of 

 that month were breeding. Eggs first seen May 25 ; fully fledged young, 

 June 17. Found nests containing eggs as late as the 20th of July. About 

 the first of August the old and young birds left the breeding grounds, and 

 after that time frequented the ocean beach. Old birds began to moult the 

 20th of July. 



65. Sterna forsteri. Forster's Tern. — Rare. Took a pair 

 May 14. 



66. Sterna antillarum. Least Tern. — Abundant. Breeds exclu- 

 sively on the ocean beach. First seen May 12. First eggs seen May 28. 

 Eggs found as late as July 5. An adult male bird was taken on the 19th 

 of July which had nearly completed moulting. By the 25th of August 

 these birds had mostly left here. 



6 7. Hy drochelidon nigra. Short-tailed Tern. — First seen, 

 11th June. In a few days became very common. Many of the birds 

 were in immature plumage, and all were moulting. About one in ten was 

 in the black plumage. The birds remained all summer in large numbers, 

 but did not breed at this point, and were still common September 1. 



68. Rhynchops nigra. Black Skimmer. — This is apparently the 

 northern limit of the breeding range of this species, and even here they 

 are rather rare. I first saw them the 10th of June, and do not think 

 they bred here. But on Brigantine Beach and at Little Egg Harbor 

 they are abundant and breed in numbers. 



* [Perhaps Sterna caspia, which Mr. Henshaw reports, in this number of the 

 Bulletin (p. 243), as occurring at Cobb's Island, off the coast of Virginia. — 

 J. A. A.] 



