398 NOVA SCOTIAN ZOOLOGV — PIERS. 



accept it as a probable addition to the list of the birds of Nova 

 Scotia." Althoucrh Mr Downs had not personally observed the 

 bird, and therefore did not include it in his catalogue, yet Mr. 

 J. M. Jones mentioned it in his paper " On the LaridfB of Nova 

 Scotia," before quoted, appending thereto the following equivocal 

 note : " Although known on our coast, of the habits or distri- 

 bution of this species we possess but meagre information. I am 

 inclined to think that this is the species which I have observed 

 keeping company with the steamer the whole way across the 

 Atlantic." Mr. Ridgway in his Manual of North American 

 Birds (p. 82) says that the species is found over the whole of 

 North America, breeding far northward, and migrating south, 

 in winter, to Cuba and Mexico. I think that there is no doubt 

 that it occurs on the coast of Nova Scotia, but for some reason 

 it has escaped the guns of our naturalists M.r. Egan thinks 

 that Mr. Bates's specimen was correctly identified. 



liAUGHiNG Gull (Larus atricillaj. Three specimens, all of 

 which came from Devil's Island, at the entrance of Halifax 

 Harbour, are in Mr. Euan's collection. Two of these were killed 

 on 10th September, 1888. The third, a female, w^as obtained on 

 15th June, 1892. There is also a fourth specimen in the 

 McCulloch collection, belonging to Dalhousie College, Halifax. 

 This species was not included in the " Catalogue of the Birds of 

 Nova Scotia." Its occuirence, however, was to be expected in the 

 province, for Mr. Chaml)erlain had mentioned it as having 

 occasionally been found in the Bay of Fundy. 



Caspian Tern (Sterva tschegrava). In May, about eight 

 years ago, Mr. F. Bell, of Dartmouth, obtained a specimen of this 

 very rare bird, which had been killed at Cole Harbour, Halifax 

 County. It now belongs to Mr. Egan, who also has another 

 which was shot last year (1898). The late Mr. Downs, I under- 

 stand, got one from Cole Harbour shortly after Mr. Bell's speci- 

 men was taken. The same man killed both. 



Black Tern (Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis). Mr. Egan 

 informs me that he has two specimens, in immatui-e plumage, 

 which were killed at Devil's Island, Halifax Harbour, on 10th 

 September, 1888. It is the only record for the province. 



