100 The Wilson Bulletin.— No. 44. 



back to look farther, finally either finding its own young or 

 going to another place where another young had been left. I 

 was eager to know how the old birds could recognize their own 

 ofifspring among the multitude which looked exactly alike to 

 me. It seemed incredible that they depended upon sight, or 

 why should they almost actually touch the young each time 

 before deciding the matter? I was forced to the conclusion 

 that the sense of smell must play an important part in the final 

 determination. 



Later in the season young birds were seen following the old 

 birds to where they fished, all the while loudly calling for food. 

 I was prepared to see the morsel delivered while the birds were 

 still flying, after the manner of the swallows, but it was never 

 so done. The young, at least, must first rest upon the water 

 or land, then the old usually settled for the moment of the 

 delivery, the young bird first shaking his feathers well before 

 rising and following. During the second week in August 

 young birds were to be seen and heard about Great Harbor 

 and Penzance, but none appeared to be fishing for themselves. 

 Up to this time there appeared no evidence that either the old 

 or young had begun to molt. 



The terns appear to fish in companies, following schools 

 of fishes of any species which may be suitable for food, size of 

 the individual fish appearing to be the prime requisite. The 

 fishes actually found in the stomachs or protruding from the 

 mouths of the young birds, and some found on the islands ac- 

 cidentally dropped by the birds, or dropped near the young, 

 are as follows : Sand Lance (Ammodytes americaniis), Cun- 

 iicr (Tautoglabnis ads perns), Mullett (Miigil curenia), Pol- 

 lock (Pollachis virens), Flounder (Psendopleiironectes ameri- 

 caniis), and young Herring (species not determined). Of all 

 the food the Sand Lance comprised not less than 80 per cent. 



It has been said that a tern never misses the fish which he 

 dives for. I have seen many birds dive repeatedly without 

 success. Most of the fish appeared to be grasped just a little 

 in front of the middle, and were never struck with the closed 

 bill, but grasped between the mandibles in every instance no- 

 ticed. The fish are swallowed head first. 



Many things in the life history of the terns need to be stud- 

 ied carefully before we can explain their true relationships 

 with satisfaction. 



