SOOTY TERN. 293 



the 26th of June, 1869, on tlie Thames, near Wallingford, in Berkshire 

 (Harting, ' Handb. Brit. Birds/ p. 170). 



The Sooty Tern is an oceanic species, resident throughout the tropics, 

 only accidentally wandering into the temperate regions. In addition to 

 the tAvo British examples already mentioned, the Sooty Tern has occurred 

 three times in Europe — once near Magdeburg in Central Germany, once 

 near Verdun in North-east France, and once near Fenestrelle in North- 

 west Italy. In the Atlantic its principal breeding-places are the islands 

 off the coast of Florida and the West Indies, the Island of Ascension, and 

 St. Helena, whilst it occurs at all seasons of the year within the tropics on 

 the Atlantic coast of both America and Africa, and accidental stragglers 

 have been found as far north as the Bermudas. The principal breeding- 

 places in the Indian Ocean are the islands in the Red Sea, the Mekran 

 coast, and the Laccadive Islands ; whilst it occurs on the coast of the main- 

 land and all the islands within the tropics, ranging eastwards throughout 

 the Malay archipelago and the coasts of Australia into Polynesia, and the 

 Pacific coasts of America from California to Chili. It is said, though on 

 very unsatisfactory evidence, to have strayed as far as Japan and the 

 Aleutian Islands, 



The Sooty Tern is almost exclusively a sea-bird, living upon fish or any 

 other food to be found on the waves. It is a bird of rapid and powerful 

 flight, and is seldom seen to alight on the water. Audubon says that it 

 swoops down upon its prey, never dropping upon it as the European Terns 

 do. He likens its note to the syllables oo-ee. He says that it never makes 

 a nest, but merely scratches a hollow in the sand in which to deposit 

 its eggs. 



Ascension Island, the great breeding-place of the Sooty Tern, is situated 

 a little south of the line, about a thousand miles from Africa, and rather 

 more from South America. It is little better than a huge cinder-heap, 

 with scanty vegetation struggling between the stones, and a green cap on 

 the top of the highest point, which rises 2800 feet above the level of the 

 sea. The extent of the island is perhaps thirty square miles, and several 

 species of birds resort to it to breed — Gannets, Tropic and Frigate-birds, 

 and three or four kinds of Terns. Of the latter the Sooty Tern is the 

 most abundant : there are three colonies ; one of them, much larger than 

 either of the others, is situated in a sheltered valley. The breeding- 

 season varies in difterent years, but may roughly be said to be during 

 our winter. It is artificially prolonged by the number of eggs taken^ 

 from two to three thousand a day ! The consequence is that the birds 

 are obliged to lay many eggs, probably at intervals of a week or more, 

 before they have the good luck to find a corner where they are allowed to 

 sit. The eggs and young are said to lie so thick on the ground that it is 

 almost impossible to walk without treading on them. It is said that they 



