396 Wayne, Notes on South Carolina Birds. [^ t k 



all of them appeared to be moulting on the top of head. This 

 moult usually takes place as early as June 3, that is the first incep- 

 tion. 



Mr. Chapman, in his 'Birds of Eastern North America,' states 

 that this tern " apparently does not winter within our limits." 

 I am pleased to say that during the past winter, which was a 

 very severe one, I frequently saw and heard this tern during the 

 months of December, January, and February, but after February 

 18, 1905, they disappeared until March. The notes of this tern 

 are unmistakable, being very guttural, and they bear no resem- 

 blance to those of Sterna maxima, the latter being pitched in a 

 high key. 



Sterna forsteri. Forster's Tern. — In the A. O. U. Check- 

 List for 1895, the range of this tern in winter is given as "south- 

 ward to Brazil." On January 7, 1905, I shot an example (male) 

 in first winter plumage from a flock of ten or more individuals. 

 The thermometer was far below the freezing point, and a regular 

 blizzard was prevailing. On June 18, 1901, 1 saw on ' Bird Bank,' 

 Bulls Bay, thousands of these terns, but none of these birds breed 

 on the South Carolina coast, and the mystery is why were they 

 there at the height of the breeding season ? All of these terns 

 appeared to be in immature plumage, yet they could not have 

 been barren birds. 



Querquedula cyanoptera. Cinnamon Teal. — April 12, 

 1904, I shot an adult female of this teal, less than one fourth of a 

 mile from my home. This little duck was in company with a female 

 Blue-winged Teal, in a puddle of water scarcely large enough or 

 deep enough for a duck to float in. Both ducks were taken, but 

 only the Cinnamon Teal was preserved. I well remember a saga- 

 cious remark Mr. Brewster made to me, many, many years ago, 

 in reference to the migration of birds, the substance of which was, 

 that during the migration, a person could look for ducks in a 

 basin of water, which is exemplified by the above. The capture 

 of this duck makes the first record for South Carolina, and the 

 second or third for the Atlantic coast. 



Porzana noveboracensis. Yellow Rail. — On February 3, 

 1904, while out partridge shooting, I saw my dog pointing in a 

 low, wet piece of open land with a dense growth of short, dead 



