280 Mackay, The Terns of Penikese Islajid, Mass. V^^^ 



To convey a better idea of the status of the Terns domiciled 

 on Penikese Island, it may, perhaps, be well to refer to its history 

 during the past fifty years, in order that the reader may know 

 with what persistency these birds have retained their love of 

 home, notwithstanding the trying ordeals they have been subjected 

 to during this period. Considering that the island is small, and 

 composed of two elevated portions connected by a stony beach, 

 with little or no sheltering verdure for the concealment of their 

 eggs or young, the hard green turf being kept closely fed by over 

 one hundred sheep, it was not without surprise that I witnessed 

 the perseverence of these birds. 



It w^ould appear that about fifty years ago Charles Gifford 

 inherited Penikese Island from his father ; he sold it to Captain 

 John Flanders, a pilot of Marthas Vineyard, who in turn sold it to 

 Captain Beriah Manchester, master of a whaling vessel, who after 

 keeping it about six or seven years, sold it to Mr. John Anderson, 

 of New York, who built a large addition at the southern side 

 of the old Flanders house and connected it with an annex built 

 by Captain Manchester. This house at present is nearly sur- 

 rounded by the only trees (large-toothed poplar, Populus grand- 

 identata, and red maple, Acer rubrum) growing on the island, they 

 having been introduced there. They have reached a medium 

 height, but are doing only fairly well, the struggle for existence 

 apparently being severe. Mr. Anderson had used Penikese 

 Island as a summer home for four or five years, when Professor 

 Louis Agassiz of Cambridge, Mass., was in quest of a location for 

 a school of natural history. It resulted in Mr. Anderson's pre- 

 senting the island, in March, 1873, together with an endowment 

 of fifty thousand dollars, to Professor Agassiz for this purpose. 

 The gift was coupled with the condition that in case the school 

 should ever be abandoned the island should revert again to Mr. 

 Anderson. The school was continued until the death of the 

 senior Agassiz, and for about a year afterwards, under the super- 

 vision of his son, when it was given up, and Mr. Anderson 

 consequently again came into possession of Penikese. After 

 Mr. Anderson's death, his executors sold it to Mr. McGroughty of 

 New York City and Messrs. George S. and F. A. Homer of New 

 Bedford, Mass., who held it in common for about five years, at 



