I I 8 G. M. Allen, Summer Birds in the Bahamas. \_k^ 



July. The local name "Black Shank" is derived from the fact that the 

 bird's beak is black, whereas the Royal Tern, with a reddish bill, is the 

 "Red Shank." 



4. Sterna antillarum (Less.)- Least Tern ; "Kill-'em-Polly." — On 

 several of the smaller islands this little tern was breeding, and we found 

 eggs during the first week of July near Elbow Cay. Although we found 

 no large colonies, yet the bird was constantly met with in small numbers 

 throughout our cruise. Several times they were seen with flocks of other 

 terns following schools of small fishes. 



5. Sterna fuliginosa Gmel. Sooty Tern; "Egg Bird." — Abundant 

 among the smaller islands. 



6. Sterna anaethetus Scop. Bridled Tern; "Egg Bird." — One 

 adult (J shot July 4, 1904, at Long Rock, off Abaco. The natives apply 

 the term "Egg Bird" indiscriminately to these two species. We were 

 not always able to distinguish between the two and did not wish to shoot 

 the birds unnecessarily. At several places, notably at Fish Cays, we 

 found immense numbers of terns breeding, most of which were seem- 

 ingly Sooties. Many young birds were seen still in the down during 

 July, while eggs were also plentiful. The crews of the sponging vessels 

 gather quantities of these eggs for food during their voyages among the 

 islands. Several of the young birds were captured and kept aboard our 

 vessel during the cruise. They made interesting pets as they ate eagerly, 

 were active and inquisitive, and wholly without fear. Their constant 

 peeping, however, became eventually quite distracting. 



7. Anous stolidus (Linn.). Noddy. — At Fish Cays, on July 14, we 

 saw a number of Noddies among the hundreds of other terns of the two 

 preceding species. This was evidently a large breeding colony. Else- 

 where we saw Noddies on only a few occasions and in small numbers. 



S. Pufnnus gravis (O'Reilly). Greater Shearwater. — On the after- 

 noon of the second day out from New York (June 25), and some 250 to 

 300 miles south of that port, we began to see shearwaters in small num- 

 bers. Most of them were apparently of this species and usually appeared 

 singly, flying in their characteristic manner, at some distance from the 

 vessel. Sometimes two or three would pass by together, and once we 

 saw a flock of eight. Only one was seen during the last day of the 

 voyage to Nassau. Very few were observed on our return trip to New 

 York, the first one making its appearance some 300 miles north of 

 Nassau, off Georgia. 



9. Pufnnus lherminieri Less. Audubon's Shearwater; "Pimlico." 

 — Although this shearwater breeds commonly in the Bahamas earlier in 

 the season, we found none nesting at the time of our visit. Occasional 

 individuals of what appeared to be this species were seen at sea with the 

 preceding species. A few were also seen at nightfall as we left Nassau in 

 our schooner, July 3, but otherwise we saw none among the islands during 

 our cruise save for a single female which was captured under a rock on 

 Pelican Island late in the afternoon of July 14. Several times loud cries 



