TERNS 



63 



Here the birds could be observed lightly skimming over the 

 surface of the water and feeding on the various small surface 

 swimming crustaceans and small fish, or engaged in feeding on 

 various species of beach insects. 



Subgenus HALIPLANA Wagler. 



75. Sterna fuliginosa Gmel. Sooty Tern. 



Plumage in summer adults : head black with white forehead and line to 

 eye ; upper parts brownish black ; outer tail feathers with some white, others 

 brownish black ; below white ; bill and feet black. Immature plumage ; 

 sooty brown ; wing lining and under tail coverts whitish ; scapulars, wing 

 and upper tail coverts and tail feathers distinctly white tipped. Wing 11.50 

 to 12.25 ; culmen 1.78 ; tarsus 1.02. 



Geog. Dist. — Tropical and subtropical regions, breeding in the Bahama 

 Islands and rarely ranging north to North Carolina; south to Chili and 

 western Mexico ; accidental in Maine. 



County Records. — Piscataquis ; a specimen was taken at Parkman, October 

 5, 1878, seems to be the only New England record, (Deane, B. N. 0. C. 

 5, p. 64). 



The occurrence of this species in Maine is purely as a 

 straggler. It is known to breed abundantly in colonies on 

 small islands off St. Helena, the Bahamas and on Ascension 

 Island. Usually only one egg is laid and out of thousands of 

 nests examined of late years there seem to be only two instances 

 recorded of two eggs being found in a nest. Audubon states 

 that three eggs were laid but there is good reason to believe 

 that he was off" on this as well as on many other points. In 

 some cases the egg is laid on the bare sand or on rocks, while 

 in other instances a slight nest is made in the grass. The eggs 

 are creamy or buffy white, spotted with chocolate and lilac. 

 An egg from Key Verde, May 28, 1891, measures 2.03 x 1.39. 

 Another from Ship Channel Key, Bahamas, May 21, 1899, 

 measures 2.00 x 1.41. In some localities the eggs are regularly 

 gathered and eaten and form quite an important article of 

 commerce. Davie states that the species is said to be semi- 

 nocturnal in its habits, being able to fly by night as well as by 

 day and going to feed long before daylight. 



