^"Is'^'^l Mackay, The Terns of Pe?iikese Island, Mass. 28 1 



which time the Messrs. Homer purchased the interest of the 

 former and now own the entire island. There was a serious fire 

 in 1 89 1 which destroyed all the school buildings, so that at 

 present there remains only a barn, and the original dwelling 

 house. 



In 1850 a Menhaden Fishery was established on the east side 

 of the island, which was abandoned about two years afterwards. 



Ever since the earliest recollection, the Terns of Penikese and 

 Gull Islands have been returning year after year to breed, not- 

 withstanding that during this entire period (with the possible 

 exception of those years during which the island was occupied by 

 the School of Natural History, and of which I have no informa- 

 tion) they have annually been unmercifully robbed of their eggs. 

 As a sample story of what has taken place this year, 1896, I quote 

 the following, told to Mr. Howe by a resident of Cuttyhunk Island : 

 " I took in one day in June, i8g6, one hundred a?id eighty-two eggs ; 

 a friend of mine gathered two hundred and ninety-Jive in one day, 

 and for the season 7iine hundred. The Portugese fishermen who 

 frequent Penikese harbor carry them off by the bucket full, as do 

 other persons, during the season." There are laws on the statute 

 books of this State for the protection of these Terns and their 

 eggs, but who is there to execute them .^ 



As far back as Flanders's time (and undoubtedly earlier) he 

 established a local custom, which seems to have been observed 

 ever since, that anyone might take eggs up to June 10, after 

 which date the Terns were permitted to lay and hatch their eggs. 

 The birds undoubtedly availed themselves of this favor and have 

 thereby preserved their present status. These conditions have 

 existed for certainly fifty years, and it seems difiicult to under- 

 stand why under such circumstances these Terns should still 

 continue to frequent these islands in such numbers as to preclude 

 correct estimates of them. I should guess, however, that there 

 may be six or seven thousand birds domiciled there, a number 

 much less than are at present living in Muskeget Island waters. 

 My old friend, Dr. Thomas M. Brewer, who passed a week on 

 Penikese in August, 1873, estimated that, inclusive of the young 

 birds, there were about one thousand Terns on the southern 

 portions of the island. 



36 



