Vol. XXI 

 1905 



I G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. 117 



Abaco, and Abaco is uniformly different from the true may- 

 nardi of New Providence. Spindalis zena townsendi is the Spin- 

 dalis of the northern group. It occurs on the larger islands, and 

 is quite distinct from true zena of the more southern islands. The 

 Abaco Pine Warbler is the same as that found among the pine 

 woods of Great Bahama, and is represented on New Providence 

 by the quite distinct race achrustera. Tanner's Yellowthroat is to 

 be found in summer throughout the bushy parts of the larger 

 islands and cays of the northern Bahamas, and was the only 

 Yellowthroat we found. It is not known to occur elsewhere. The 

 reason for this homogeneity among birds of the northern Bahamas 

 is doubtless that the land masses are practically contiguous or 

 only separated from one another by slight stretches of quiet water, 

 while between them and the more southern groups (New Provi- 

 dence, etc.) some 40 or 50 miles of rough sea intervene. 



According to Cory, 1 the Centurus of Great Bahama Island is 

 subspecifically distinct from that found on Abaco. In view of 

 what has just been said this is rather unexpected, and as the 

 characters claimed for the Great Bahama bird are very slight, it 

 is not unlikely that a large series would show the same variations 

 on both islands. 



In the following list, a few notes are included on birds seen 

 during the voyage between New York and Nassau. The local 

 names of the birds are also appended in quotation marks. 



1. Larus atricilla Linn. Laughing Gull; "Gullie." — Throughout 

 the smaller cays and along the shores of the larger islands these birds 

 were rather common in pairs, and were breeding. Most of those seen 

 apparently had young near by, and invariably followed us with cries of 

 protest whenever we were near their nesting sites. We saw a number of 

 young birds that were evidently but a few days old, yet able to scramble 

 nimbly about over the rough rocks. 



2. Sterna maxima Bodd. Royal Tern; "Red Shank."— Royal 

 Terns were not uncommon about the islands, though we rarely saw more 

 than two or three at a time flying over the quieter waters or sunning on 

 the mud flats. We found no sign of their breeding. 



3. Sterna dougalli Montag. Roseate Tern ; " Black Shank." — 

 Rather common among the outer cays where it was breeding in early 



1 Cory : Auk, Vol. IX, 1892, p. 270. 



