180 BULLETIN 15 5, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Saona Island September 12 to 19, 1919, and collected a female at 

 Sanchez February 6, 1919. Wetmore found them common at the 

 head of Samana Bay from May 6 to 11, 1927, and at times noted 

 several fishing in company. He collected a male near the mouth of 

 the Arroyo Barrancota, May 8, 1927. Peters reported them at 

 Puerto Plata February 25, 1916, and occasionally at Sosiia until 

 April 11. Wetmore recorded one in the harbor at Puerto Plata 

 June 3, 1927. Danforth observed the royal tern in Santo Domingo 

 City harbor June 14 and August 9, at San Pedro de Macoris July 

 4, at Monte Cristi June 24 and August 5, and at Puerto Plata July 

 1, 1927. Bond found this species on Lake Enriquillo. Ekman in 

 July, 1929, found a flock resting on Ratas Island in the Seven 

 Brothers group. 



The royal tern is first recorded for Haiti by Bryant in 1863. In 

 1917 Bartsch found it at Petit Goave and Miragoane April 9, near 

 Jeremie April 11, and at Trou des Roseaux April 13. Wetmore saw 

 it at Aquin April 3, and at Caracol April 27, and Abbott collected 

 a male at the mouth of Trois Rivieres May 12, 1917. Beebe reported 

 one occasionally about his schooner at Bizoton in the early part 

 of 1927. According to Danforth Emlen saw it on Gonave Island 

 July 17, 1927. Bond saw it in the Gonave and St. Marc Channels, 

 at Fort Liberte, and on the Etang Saumatre. Poole and Perrygo 

 collected five, all males, at Fort Liberte on February 10, 1929. 

 Lonnberg records one taken by Ekman on Gonave Island. 



The royal tern is found mainly along the seashore, searching for 

 fish which it secures by diving in the shallows of bays and harbors, or 

 resting, facing the wind, on some pile or stake standing in the water. 

 It is the largest of the terns of this region being from 475 to 505 mm. 

 in length so that it can be confused only with the laughing gull from 

 which it differs in longer, straighter bill, and in lack of prominent 

 black on the ends of the wings. The upper surface is light gray, 

 with the crown black, and the underparts white. In winter dress 

 the anterior part of the crown is white. The feathers of the nape 

 are extended to form a short crest. The eye is dark brown, the bill 

 light orange or orange yellow, and the feet and tarsus black (colors 

 noted by Abbott from freshly killed specimen). 



THALASSEUS SANDVICENSIS ACUFLAVIDUS (Cabot) 

 CABOT'S TERN, GAVIOTA 



Sterna acuftavida Cabot, Proe. Boston Soe. Nat. Hist., vol. 2, 1847, p. 257 

 (Tancah, Yucatan). 



Sterna cantiaca, Tippenhatter, Die Insel Haiti, 1892, p. 323 (listed). 



Thalasseus sandvicensis acuflavidus, Danfokth, Auk, 1929, p. 365 (Monte 

 Cristi, Samana Bay). 



