Todd: The Birds of the Isle of Pines. 209 



When taken young the Crane is easily tamed, and makes a very inter- 

 esting pet. It feeds on worms, insects, lizards, etc., and may often be 

 observed in recently burnt tracts, picking up the lizards which have 

 perished in the fire. It is a very noisy bird, and also has a peculiar 

 way of dancing, strutting around with bill pointed straight up, the 

 wings spread, while all the time it utters its loud discordant notes. 



46. Sterna maxima Boddaert. Royal Tern. 



Sterna cayennensis Poey, Mem. Hist. Nat. Cuba, 1854, 427 (Nueva Gerona, fide 



Gundlach). 

 Sterna maxima Cory, Cat. W. Indian Birds, 1892, 82 (I. of Pines, in geog. distr.). 



— Bangs & Zappey, Am. Nat., XXXIX, 1905, 196 (seacoast and cays). 

 Thalasseus maximiis Gundlach, Orn. Cubana, 1895, 287 (I. of Pines). 

 "Royal Tern" Read, Oologist, XXX, 1913, 130 (I. of Pines), 168 (Los Indios). — 



Read, I. of Pines News, VI, Apr. 25, 1914 (Punta Frances). 



Four specimens: Los Indios, Majagua River, and Cayo Frances. 



Specimens shot September 27 and November 7 show moult of the 

 primaries in progress, while an individual taken November 30 is in 

 full dress. 



The Royal Tern is found at various points along the seacoast and 

 among the outlying cays. In addition to the localities above specified, 

 it was noted off Punta del Este and about the island known as Morrillo 

 del Diablo, on the north coast. Probably, however, none of these 

 birds were breeding at the time. In May, 1910, a nest with two eggs 

 was found near the sea-beach, east of the mouth of the Nuevas River. 



47. Sterna sandvicensis acuflavida Cabot. Cabot Tern. 

 Three specimens: Los Indios. 



A few were noted at Los Indios on September 27, in company with 

 the Royal Tern, and three specimens were secured. One of these is 

 an adult in winter dress ; the other two are immature birds. The species 

 has long been known from Cuba, Jamaica, and Porto Rico, but this 

 is the first record for the Isle of Pines. So far as I have been able to 

 discover there are no breeding records for Cuba, although Gundlach 

 claims to have taken young in the first plumage in August. 



48. Sterna antillarum (Lesson). Least Tern. 



About a dozen of these birds were observed in May, 1910, about a 

 sea-beach east of the mouth of the Nuevas River, under circumstances 

 which indicated that they were breeding at the time, as were the 

 Royal Terns, with which they were associated. The species was found 



