396 Pangburn, Birds of Pinellas County, Fla. [jj} y 



the foregoing species applies to this one. The two are usually found in 

 company, but with a little practice it is easy to distinguish them from 

 one another. Their beautiful flight and striking appearance make them 

 most attractive. 



12. Sterna sandvicensis acuflavida. Cabot's Tern. — I saw a half 

 dozen Cabot's Terns on February 14, March 25 and March 26. They 

 were all on the Gulf side at Pass-a-Grille Key. They are probably more 

 abundant than my records would indicate, but do not frequent the land- 

 locked bays to so great an extent as do other Terns. 



13. Sterna hirundo. Common Tern. — A few were seen during the 

 last week of January and the first ten days of February. After that they 

 seemed to disappear. Some of the lairds were probably Forster's Terns 

 but in winter plumage this is a distinction that is difficult to make. 



14. Sterna antillarum. Least Tern. — One was seen on February 

 11, and I saw two more on April 26. These are my only records. 



15. Rynchops nigra. Black Skimmer. — Skimmers were among 

 the most abundant of the water birds about St. Petersburg, but varied 

 greatly in then abundance from day to day. Flocks of from a hundred 

 to a thousand could be seen resting on sand bars. They were found for 

 the most part on the bays. They are locally known as Scissor bills and 

 Shearwaters. 



16. Phalacrocorax auritus floridanus. Florida Cormorant. — 

 Whether all of the Cormorants observed were of this subspecies I cannot 

 say, although theoretically I suppose that they were. In any case those 

 which were breeding on Bird Key must have been floridanus. The Cor- 

 morants are known locally and to the tourists as "nigger ducks." They 

 are probably the most abundant water bird of Pinellas county, although 

 not as conspicuous as the Brown Pelican. On February 11 at Pass-a- 

 Grille I saw a flock of Florida Cormorants which numbered easily twelve 

 thousand. The flock was apparently following some vast school of fish, 

 and swung about in the air and water for two hours or more before passing 

 out of sight. This was in the Gulf of Mexico. At one time the flock came 

 so near the beach that I could hear the roar of the wings. About half of 

 the buds were in the water and half in the air, and they kept constantly 

 changing, so that there was a tremendous amount of activity. A few Peli- 

 cans, Mergansers and Gulls were mingled in the flock. On a visit to Bird 

 Key, April 3, I found the Cormorants nesting in large numbers. The 

 nests were in the most inaccessible portions of the mangroves, and were 

 further protected by the violent disgorging of half digested fish by their 

 tenants. 



17. Pelecanus erythrorhynchos. White Pelican. — I saw only 

 two White Pelicans. One was flying over Salt Lake on February 7 and 

 the other was at Bird Key on February IS. The fishermen assure me that 

 a few are seen every winter on Boca Ceiga bay. 



18. Pelecanus occidentalis. Brown Pelican. — Brown Pelicans 

 are the chief show bird of St. Petersburg. They are the pets of the tour- 



