Avifauna of Lake Erie Islands. 11 



westerly exposure. About twenty Herring Gulls were perched 

 on granite boulders which projected above the water, or stood 

 at the edge of the water along the margin of the island. Two 

 Black Ducks made off from the island as we approached it. 

 Spotted Sandpipers were the only other birds noted here. 

 This rock is known on the Government charts as Big Chicken 

 Reef or Shoal. But at the time of our visit it clearly de- 

 served a name which would be distinctive. Since it was the 

 smallest of the brood it might appropriately be considered 

 "The Chick." 



Little Chicken Island, August 7, 1901. — Chick lies about 

 half a mile north of Big Chicken, and Little Chicken about a 

 mile east of Chick. In general contour it closely resembles 

 Chick, but lies much higher out of the water, so that a group 

 of white willows has managed to grow to a height of twenty 

 feet, clinging to the north edge. The center of this long rock 

 is thickly strewn with drift, the drift completely surrounded 

 with a rank growth of Polygonum. We spent about two 

 hours on this bit of an island, and the count of nests made 

 the estimate of 1500 birds seem conservative. Here, as at 

 the other two islands, Black Terns mingled freely with the 

 Common. There were no Herring Gulls here, but two Black 

 Ducks flew away as we approached, probably the same two 

 which left Chick upon our approach, since they flew back 

 there. Spotted Sandpipers were the only other birds seeji 

 here. 



Hen Island, August 7, 1901. — We ate our dinner on this 

 island, spending about three hours on it. Unlike the Chicken 

 Islands, the " Old Hen " stands up out of the water with per- 

 pendicular faces everywhere but at the small landing place^ 

 at the south-east corner. It has been occupied by a club house 

 for many years, yet it is covered with trees, mostly hackbejry. 

 Only the center is cleared, and here peach trees have been 

 set out, and there is an attempt at a small garden patch. We 

 understood that it is occupied every summer, which means 

 that the Common Terns have had to vacate. It is said that 

 they nested on this island in great numbers before the club 



