284 Mackay, The Tertis of Peuikese Island, J^Tass. [^^J",^ 



slightly smaller than it was fifty years ago. A third of the island, 

 on its northern side, is fairly well covered with coarse herbage 

 and beach grass {Atfimophihi anmdi?tacea). It is on this shoal 

 that a little colony of about one hundred and fifty Roseate Terns 

 {S. doiigallt) and a few Wilson's (6". hirundd) are domiciled. Mr. 

 Frederick S. Allen, who has been a resident on Cuttyhunk for 

 fifty-four years, informs me that when he was a boy " the Terns 

 were more abundant on Gull Island than on Penikese, to which 

 island they extended to breed." He also thinks " there are as 

 many Terns at the present time as formerly ; cannot perceive any 

 difference in their numbers." It nevertheless appears to the 

 writer as unlikely, from the size of Gull Island, etc., that it could 

 ever have furnished breeding quarters for more than a few 

 hundred birds. 



The first eggs were noted on Penikese Island in 1892 on May 

 20. In 1893 the Terns arrived May 10, in the night, an advance 

 guard of several hundred being noted early the following morning 

 at daylight; these all left before noon of the nth, and on the 

 morning of the 12th, before daylight, immense numbers had again 

 arrived. In 1894 the advance guard arrived on the night of May 

 7. In 1895 the first eggs were noted on May 24. In 1896 the 

 Terns commenced to arrive during the night of May 9 ; they 

 were in evidence at daylight on the loth, and continued to arrive 

 all day, and on the morning of the nth the usual colony had 

 taken possession of the island. I am informed that the Terns 

 had considerably diminished in numbers on Penikese by August 

 28, and that the young birds were all in the air and able to care 

 for themselves ; that after September i there were but few birds 

 left, and that by the 17th all had departed. It was thought that 

 those remaining the longer time did so in order to care for a few 

 mutilated young birds that needed aid. These mained young 

 having been killed, the old birds departed as above. A goodly 

 number of young birds were raised this season, as the owners of 

 the island inform me that they did not allow them to be molested. 



