LARID.E — THE GULLS AND TERNS — A NOUS. 327 



Island of Rodriguez, near Mauritius. Mr. R. Swinhoe states that in the harbor of 

 Sawo, on the northeast side of Formosa, a few of these Terns were found breeding 

 on the cliffs. One individual flew into his boat, and was knocked down by a sailor. 

 Another was brought to him alive. In the voyage round the island he frequently 

 noticed these birds crossing and recrossing his wake, as if searching for food in the 

 troubled waters stirred up by the steamer's paddles. They always kept a long 

 distance in the rear, and made no attempt to come on board. 



This Tern was observed on the Pacific coast of Guatemala by Mr. Salvin. In May, 

 1859, he also met with it near the Island of St. John's ; and presumes that it probably 

 occurs about St. Croix. On the coast of Honduras he visited its breeding-place, 

 where it was nesting, in company with the A. melanofjeivjs. Its nest was a large 

 loose structure made of sticks heaped together at the top of a cocoanut-tree, or on 

 the outer branches of a mangrove. The bird was as tame as possible, and was not at 

 all disturbed when Mr. Salvin climbed the tree on which it was nesting. The eggs 

 had all been hatched. 



Mr. Grayson found it breeding on Isabella Island, on the north end of which, as 

 he states, these birds were present in large communities, their nests being built upon 

 shelving rocks beneath the overhanging cliffs, like those of the Mud-Swallow. In 

 one particular locality there were a great many of these birds, and when they were 

 fired at they came down in swarm over the canoe, circling around like Swallows. The 

 nests were all placed close together, and were inaccessible. 



A single individual of this species is stated by Major Wedderburn to have been 

 taken in Bermuda, September, 1854. 



Audubon found the Noddies on one of the Tortugas, called Noddy Key. There 

 they formed regular nests of twigs and dry grass, which they placed on low trees 

 or bushes, but in no instance on the ground. On the 11th of May, 1832, he found 

 many repairing and augmenting old nests, while others were constructing new ones. 

 Some were already sitting on their eggs. Some of the nests were two feet in height ; 

 yet in all there was only a slight depression on the top. 



Audubon — disagreeing with most observers — states that the Noddy lays three 

 eggs ; while others say that it never has more than one. He describes the eggs as of 

 a reddish-yellow color, spotted and patched with dull red and faint purple, and gives 

 their measurement as 2.00 inches in length and 1.37 in breadth — which is considerably 

 less than the average. They are said to be excellent eating. This bird was observed 

 to go far out to sea to collect its food, which consisted of fish caught on the floating 

 seaweed by skimming close over the surface, in the manner of Gulls. When seized 

 by the hand it is said to utter a rough cawing cry, not unlike that of a young Crow. 

 Mr. Richard Hill, of Jamaica, quoted by Mr. Gosse, speaks of its breeding on the 

 Pedro Keys. The only vegetation is a low stunted kind of tree known as saffron- 

 wood — the "tea-shrub" of the Bahama Islands. Among their branches, at a very 

 small elevation from the ground, the Noddies build nests which grow larger by accu- 

 mulations of materials ; these nests being repaired and used again in successive 

 seasons. They are exceedingly shallow, with scarcely any hollowing at all, and are 

 generally embellished with an addition of broken sea-shells — such being selected as 

 are spotted and speckled, like the eggs. The object of this curious feature in their 

 construction is not at all understood. 



The eggs of this species have a white ground, with a well-marked creamy tinge, 

 and some have a distinctly cream-color, almost buffy. The spots are few and small, 

 and are chiefly about the larger end. In a few instances they are larger. The color 

 is usually a dark chestnut, with subdued shell-markings of lavender gray. 



