1917 BIRDS OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ISLANDS 29 



Probably a regular migrant in the channel well out from shore. H. Wright 

 (1) took a pair near Santa Cruz Island August 6, 1909, and a female near the 

 Coronados August 20, 1910. On August 11, 1912, he (5) saw a flock of eight or 

 ten birds about ten miles from Santa Cruz Island, and on August 1, another 

 flock between the latter and Santa Barbara Island. E. W. Nelson informs me 

 that he has also seen small flocks in the channel during the fall. 



26. Sterna maxima Boddaert 



Royal Tern 



sterna regia {1) Henshaw, Rep. Wheeler Surv., 1876, p. 277. 



Sterna maxima {2) Baird, Brewer and Ridgway, Water Birds N. Am., ii, 1884, p. 286. 

 (3) Blake, Auk, iv, 1887, p. 329. (//) Streator, Orn. & Ool., xiii, 1888, p. 54. (5) 

 Grinnell, Pasadena Acad. Sci., ii, 1898, p. 7. (C) Grinnell, Pac. Coast Avif., 3, 1902. 

 p. 13. (7) Bailey, Handb. Birds West. U. S., 2d ed., 1904, p. 29. (8) Linton, Condor, 

 X, 1908, p. 82. (9) Linton, Condor, x, 1908, p. 126.' {lu) Willett, Condor, xii, 1910, 

 p. 173. (ii) Willett, Pac. Coast Avif., 7, 1912, p. 15. (12) Grinnell, Pac. Coast 

 Avif., 11, 1915, p. 24. 



Present among the islands throughout the year, but rather rare in spring. 

 I have seen several of these beautiful birds in the vicinity of the Coronados dur- 

 ing the early summer. C. B. Linton {11) noted a few near San Nicolas June 17, 

 1910, where C, P. Streator (4) also saw them in the fall of 1886. Linton (S) 

 also reported the species as very common during Octoljer, December and Janu- 

 ary, 1907, at San Clemente, but few were seen after February 5. J. Grinnell (5) 

 found it numerous in the vicinity of Catalina during the winter, and I have noted 

 a lew individuals there in April. E. W. Blake (,5) recorded it from Santa Cruz 

 Island in July and August, and C. B. Linton (5) says it was common there dur- 

 ing November and December, 1907. 



H. W. Henshaw (i) was informed that the species bred in numbers on San 

 Miguel, but it seems unlikely that it has done so in recent years at least, as sev- 

 eral have made special searches for nests there. G. Willett {10), however, saw 

 several immature birds near the west end of the island June 17, 1910. 



27. Sterna forsteri Nuttall 



FoRSTER Tern 

 Sterna forsteri (1) Grinnell and Daggett, Auk, xx, 1903, pp. 32, 37. 



Reported only in spring and summer, but doubtless occurring spar- 

 ingly in the fall and winter' as well. Several were seen by J. Grinnell and F. S. 

 Daggett (i) while approaching the Coronados, August 6, 1902, and I have noted 

 an occasional bird the early part of July in the same locality. I also several 

 tiiaes saw what I believe was the same individual near Catalina in April, 1907. I 

 have included the above records under Sterna forsteri simply because the first 

 were so reported, and I have added my own observation to it because forsteri is 

 the commoner form in the region. Recent investigations have shown that 8. hi- 

 rundo is almost as common off the coast of southern California as is forsteri, 

 and the individuals seen may have been of either species. Undoubtedly both do 

 occur near the islands at times. 



