° 1915 ] Murphy, Birds of Trinidad Islet. 3-45 



6. Sterna fuliginosa Gmelin. The Sooty Tern doubtless occurs at 

 Trinidad, for Nicoll, ' Ibis,' 1906, p. 673, records it as inhabiting the rocks 

 of Martin Vas. 



7. Anous stolidus (Linne). Anous stolidus, Nicoll, Ibis, 1906, p. 670. 

 In spite of the enormous numbers of Noddies noted by our party at 



Trinidad, there seems to be no earlier specific record than that of Nicoll, 

 who found these birds abundant, and breeding, on the occasion of his 

 landing in January, 1906. None was collected during the visit of the 

 Venus in August, 1874, and Dr. Wilson, Naturalist of the Discovery, 

 reports that on September 13, 1901, the " small, black, Tern-like bird .... 

 was by no means frequently seen and was not familiar or inquisitive ; con- 

 sequently no specimen was obtained." (Ibis, 1904, p. 210.) 



From these data the conclusion may be drawn that this conspicuous 

 species is common on the rocks and over the shore waters of Trinidad only 

 during the season of southern summer. It is not unlikely that a migration 

 to and from distant islands, or continental coasts, occurs during the months 

 between May and December. 



Unfortunately there is only one example of the Noddy among my Trini- 

 dad specimens, an immature bird with worn contour feathers but new 

 quills. Its measurements agree with those of specimens from Dry Tortu- 

 gas, Florida. 



8. Micranous leucocapillus (Gould). One record from Martin Vas 

 Rocks, January 5, 1906. (Nicoll, Ibis, 1906, p. 673). 



9. Gygis crawfordi Nicoll. Gygis Candida, Saunders, Proc. Zool. Soc, 

 1880, p. 163; Cat. B. XXV, p. 151. Wilson, Ibis, 1904, p. 210. Gygis 

 alba, Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 217. Gtjgis crawfordi, Nicoll, Bull. B. O. C., 

 XVI, 1906, p. 102; Ibis, 1906, p. 669. Murphy, Auk, 1915, p. 48. " Little 

 snow-white tern," McCormick, ' Voyages,' I. c, p. 24. 



This recently recognized species is the Atlantic representative of the 

 genus, breeding on Fernando Noronha, Ascension, Trinidad, and St. 

 Helena, but far more numerously on Trinidad than anywhere else. All 

 the naturalists who have visited Trinidad have mentioned it. Sitting 

 birds, eggs, and gray downy young in various stages of growth, have been 

 observed in April, August, September, and January. Therefore this tern 

 breeds practically throughout the year, " from sea-shore to the extreme 

 summit of the island," laying a single beautifully marked egg on the rock, 

 or on a stump or branch of a dead tree. According to Nicoll, the young 

 exhibit great tenacity in clinging to their precarious perches. 



10. Sula piscator (Linne). Sida piscator, Saunders, Proc. Zool. Soc, 

 1880, p. 163. Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. XXVI, p. 434. Nicoll, Ibis, 1906, 

 p. 672. Sula piscatrix, Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 214. 



This Booby breeds apparently throughout the year. Excellent photo- 

 graphs of the bird and its nesting site have been published by both Murray 

 and Nicoll (see references), while Knight gives an account of the nesting 

 colonies in the ravines on the island's northeastern coast. Flying fish are 

 known to make up part of the bird's food. 



