384 Mackay, The Tents of Muskeget Island. \%a 



also this, that had tunnel or burrow entrances to them in the high, 

 luxuriant beach grass {^Ammophila anmdhiacea); such nests are 

 common on Gravelly Island. I also wish to observe that this 

 year the Wilson Terns built better nests than I have ever known 

 them to do before. I have no reason to offer for this change. The 

 usual two or three Roseate nests were found close to the house 

 on this island ; one of these, within five feet of the house, 

 contained two eggs, another, within three feet, contained three 

 eggs. The chicks noted here, are only what I personally observed. 

 I saw no dead ones on the island, and I feel fairly safe in saying, 

 that one thousand young birds have been raised there this season. 

 The condensed result of the nests and eggs found here is as 

 follows. 



Gravelly Island, June 26, 1896. 



72 nests of I egg each, 72 



239 " 2 eggs " 478 



168 "3 " " 504 



2 " 4 " " 8 



none " 5 " " none 



481 1062 



In addition to above were 



7 nests of 2 eggs each and i chick 

 3 " I egg " " I " 



Found away from nest, 9 chicks 



Leaving Gravelly Island we continued on to South Beach. Here 

 we also noted more eggs than usual, nevertheless I failed to cer- 

 tainly identify any of them as hemg Arctics {Ster?ia paradiscea), 

 though some of them looked to me as if they were such and the 

 birds themselves were in the air overhead. The following is an 

 account of what was observed here. 



South Beach, June 26, 1896. 



None, nests of i egg each, none 



9 "2 eggs " 18 



8 " 3 " " 24 



I nest of 4 " " 4 



None, nest of 5 " " none 

 Dropped eggs, i 



~I8" -^ 



