Study of the Avifauna of Lake Erie Islands. 143 



period of study, for no pains were spared to make the inves- 

 tig"ation of the bird Hfe thorough and detailed. It seems un- 

 Hkely that any species could have escaped the dozen pairs 

 of eyes and the continuous study. 



Podilijmbus podiceps. — Pied-billed Grebe. 



Noted only at the swamp on the north-east end of the island, 

 where it seemed to be breeding — 3910. 

 Larus argevtatus. — ^Herring Gull. 



Everywhere and always common, even during the July days. 

 Much time was spent by the birds roosting on the sand spit, usu- 

 ally near the southern end of it, and when we approached this 

 favorite resting place the birds flew beyond rifle range and settled 

 upon the water. The majority of the gulls were in the dark or 

 mottled plumage. They had not. of course, nested anywhere in 

 the region. There was no pound fishing being done anywhere about 

 the island, and therefore the gulls did not fish in the vicinity. 

 Lams pJiiladclphm. — Bonaparte's Gull. 



The first, an immature bird, was noted on August 11, and nearly 

 every day thereafter during the period of study in 1910. The 

 largest number seen at any one time was four on August 15, 1910, 

 two of which were in nearly full fall plumage. None were record- 

 ed on any other trip to this island. 

 Sterna oeTvsp/ff.— Caspian Tern. 



The only records are three September 1, and one each on Sep- 

 tember 3 and 6. 1910. These individuals lingered about the point 

 for some time, but finally passed on to the southward in the reg- 

 ular line of migration. 

 Sterna hirundo. — Common Tern. 



Present in large numbers on all visits and at all times. They 

 did not nest on this island, but rested and roosted on the sand 

 spit by the thousand, both night and day. There seemed to be fewer 

 of them at night than during the day. Many were in the first 

 plumage, and there were numei-ous instances of young being fed 

 by the parents. As far as could be determined the fish used for 

 food were small and slender. As noted, there were extensive nest- 

 ings on Middle Island, only two miles to the south, and on Big 

 and Little Chicken and North Harbor. On excursions around the 

 island, these terns were seen roosting on every available sandy 

 point. Ten thousand individuals would be a conservative estimate 

 of the numbers hereabouts. 

 Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis. — Black Tern. 



Present in considerable numbers on all visits, increasingly so 

 during the 1910 studies. Full plumaged birds predominated dur- 



