°i9i3 Bathaw at, Notes on Rhodt Island Birds. 547 



our coast since 1907. Early in August of each year since, both old and 

 young birds appear in daily increasing numbers, coming to the sand 

 Hats in Brightman, Quonochontaug and Charlestown Ponds and the 



breakwater at Point Judith where tiny find safe roosting places. Adult 

 birds are flying back and forth all day over the ocean and ponds bringing 

 small fish to tiie young birds congregated on the Hats, and as the young 



get stronger of wing they accompany the adults on their Ashing trips. 



On August 17, 1011), there were about a thousand birds on the Quonochon- 

 tatig Hats, and from information gathered from others, I estimated that there 

 were at least seven thousand birds between Point Judith and Watch Hill 

 daily during August, 1910. They all departed between September 5th and 

 8th. A large flight occurred on September 2, 1911. From early morn- 

 ing until sunset flocks of from five to sixty coining from flu- east, were 

 flying continuously over the ocean and Quonochontaug Pond in a south- 

 westerly direction. After this but few were noted, a lone individual being 

 on November 5th. There must have been a great many thousand 

 birds in this flight. During 1912 they were not as abundant as in the 

 two previous years, but still wen- very plentiful. 



Sterna fuscata. Sooty Tern. — A male in immatnre plumage was 

 Bhot by Mr. C. B. Clarke on January 8, 1908, at Coddington Point, New- 

 port, and is now mounted in rny collection. This is the fourth record for 

 this state. It is rather remarkable that a southern bird should stray so 

 far north in winter. 



Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis. Black Tern. — A flight of 

 this species occurred on September 3, 1906, at Point Judith lasting nearly 

 all day. The wind blew about thirty miles an hour from the southwest 

 accompanied by rain. Small flocks were flying over the Point every few 

 minutes coming from the northeast and flying into the wind. Late in the 

 afternoon the wind shifted to light northwest and the flight ceased, but with 

 the change in wind the terns commenced to appear in great numbers over 

 the ocean coming from the southwest and leisurely feeding between Point 

 Judith ami Newport. The next morning none were seen, all having de- 

 parted in the night. I shot a male in nearly adult plumage, the only one 

 seen, all the others being immature birds. 



Pufrinus borealis. Cory's Shearwater. — Six of this species were 

 shot from the deck of a tug boat between Watch Hill and Point Judith 

 in Block Island sound on October 14, 1907, by Mr. C. B. Clarke. One was 

 shot at Point Judith by H. S. Champlin on September 13, 1910. Mr. 

 Champlin informs me that they were quite numerous in August and early 

 September in company with Jaegers, inside the breakwater. 



Anas rubripes. Black Duck. — A nest containing nine fresh eggs was 

 found in the marsh at Point Judith on May 7, 1911. The female a small 

 bird with green legs, flushed when I was about eight feel from her. On 

 May 29, 1910, I found five young about three weeks old in the same marsh, 

 two of which were caught with the aid of a dog and after banding, were 

 liberated. Miss Elizabeth Dickens of Block Island informs me that she 



