THE BIRDS OF HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN" REPUBLIC 175 



The gull-billed tern is pure white below and pale gray above with 

 black crown. It is distinguished from other medium-sized terns by 

 the heavy bill which is black in color. In winter dress the crown is 

 white, the auricular region gray, and a space in front of the eye 

 blackish. The wing is 290 to 300 mm. long. 



STERNA HIRUNDO HIRUNDO Linnaeus 



COMMON TERN, GAVIOTA 



Sterna hirundo Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, vol. 1, 1758, p. 137 (Sweden). 

 Sterna hirundo hirundo, Danforth, Auk, 1922, p. 365 (Saona Island). 



A number of records ; status not certain, but apparently regular in 

 migration. 



W. L. Abbott secured two specimens, an adult in full summer 

 plumage, and a young male in juvenal dress, apparently only recent- 

 ly on the wing, at Saona Island, September 14, 1919. Danforth 

 reports that they were common off Saona June 14, and Emlen noted 

 about fifty there July 1, 1927. Hartert writes that there are three 

 skins taken by Kaempfer in the Tring Museum, an immature male 

 from the mouth of the Yuna shot December 28, 1922, and two other 

 males marked Samana Bay, an immature on October 2, and an adult 

 on October 28, 1922. 



The hurricanes of the late summer of 1928 apparently brought 

 havoc to the ranks of this tern since following the storms a number 

 of dead birds were reported, all of particular interest since they were 

 birds banded before they were able to fly in breeding colonies on the 

 coast of Massachusetts. For information regarding them we are in- 

 debted to Frederick C. Lincoln of the Biological Survey. A bird 

 banded by Charles B. Floyd on July 10, 1928 at Tern Island, Chat- 

 ham, Mass. (No. 678,732,) was reported through the Department of 

 State as captured at Haina, D. R., on September 15, 1928. One 

 banded July 7, 1928, at Penikese Island, Mass., by F. C. Lincoln 

 (No. 709,083) was reported by A. D. MacGillivray September 14, 

 1928 as blown in by the hurricane at San Pedro de Macoris. An- 

 other banded at the same point by Mr. Lincoln on July 8 (No. 

 710,318) was reported by the Department of State September 14, as 

 captured at Boca Chica, one of the mouths of the Yuna, opposite 

 Sanchez. Another marked at Chatham, Mass., by Mr. Floyd July 3 

 (No. 675,752) was reported found at Altamira, Puerto Plata, D. R., 

 by Ramon German under date of October 23. The final record, a 

 bird marked at Chatham, Mass., by Mr. Floyd on July 9, 1928, that 

 was found dead near Cap-Ha'itien, Haiti, September 27, 1928, by 

 Maj. John R. Henley is of particular interest since it is at present the 

 only record of this species from Haiti. 



