20 THE WILSON BU LLETIN — March, 1921 



Skiinniers on these banks, but tlioy certainly do not breed 

 there. Mr. Perry informs me tliat on I'elican I'oint the 

 eggs were deposited upon the bare sand, the birds often 

 breeding in close proximity, sometimes only two or three 

 feet separating some *' nests.'' The eggs were oftenest four 

 in number, although frequently only three were laid, and 

 occasionally sets of five were, found. The ground color is 

 creamy white; occasionally pure white, although this may 

 be due to fading as this description is taken from specimens 

 in the collection of Mr. I'erry. Tlie markings vary greatly, 

 but the average egg is heavily spotted and blotched with 

 blackish-brown ; the spots are usually of irregular size, 

 but always quite sharply defined, and are generally well 

 distributed over the surface. The eggs average 1.75 x 1.35 

 in size. 



These birds are very active during the early morning 

 hours, feeding in the shallows of Tybee inlet as well as the 

 larger rivers flowing into it. On May 17, 1!)11, T D. 

 Perry and I visited Folly island in quest of eggs of the 

 Least Tern {Stenia (DitilJarum), this trip being referred 

 to in the account of that species. In order to gain access 

 to this island it was necessary for us to either go outside 

 and row a considerable distance through the breakers or 

 await a high tide and laboriously push our boat through 

 a long four foot wide canal that had been dug by trappers. 

 We chose the latter route, and arriving at six ]>. m. of the 

 16th near the head of this canal we found that we would 

 be compelled to camp upon a nearby small hammock until 

 three a. m. when the canal would contain sufficient water 

 to float a boat. After many ditflculties we Anally gained 

 the river at the mouth of which lay our destination. The 

 first gray streaks of dawn were just appearing ir. the east 

 when the Skimmers made their appearance on the river, 

 skimming the surface of the water often onh' a few feet 

 from our boat. With the rising of the sun the birds de- 

 serted the river and retire(^l to the outlying sand bars, there 

 to stand and sun themselves for long ])eriods. Although 

 when resting they strictly confine themselves to the outer 

 sand banks, at rare intervals I have seen in<lividuals alight 



