iSSS.] Scott, Birds of the Gulf Coast of Florida. 371^ 



reason to believe that tliey arrive at tiiis j)oint about May i to 5, becominsj; 

 common in a few days. 



At John's Pass I found them in great numbers about June i, i886. The 

 percentage of adult birds to those in immature plumage at this time of the 

 year is quite remarkable. On June 3, 1886, at John's Pass I took a series 

 of fifty-nine of these birds and saw many hundreds more of them. Of the 

 fifty-nine only six were in full plumage, and though all of the others were 

 at least a year old, not a few of them appeared from dissection as if they 

 would not have bred till at least another season. They breed in large 

 numbers on the sand beach near the point above indicated in June, and 

 are still abundant in the vicinity till about the last of September when 

 they begin to disappear. On September 20, 18S6, I secured an additional 

 series of the species at the point in question. The birds had by that 

 time all assumed winter plumage except the young birds of the year. 

 These were in seven cases still in the /fVi/" plumage, and not quite frilly 

 grown, indicating that probably more than one brood is raised, and show- 

 ing how late in the summer the last broods are hatched out. 



Since writing the above, Mr. Atkins of Key West tells me that Cabot's 

 Tern is quite common in Key West Harbor in winter. 



Sterna forsteri. Forster's Tern. — A rather common winter resident 

 (see Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. VI, No. i, January, 18S6. p. 21). and 

 the species was observed by me at Casey's Pass as late as May 28, 1SS6, 

 still in winter plumage. (See Auk, Vol. IV, No. 4, Oct., 1886, pp. 274, 

 278.) Later, June 3, of the same year, I found the species abundant at 

 John's Pass and still in flocks, many of the birds being in winter plumage. 

 I am inclined to think that the species will be found to breed in small 

 numbers near this locality on the Gulf Coast. Mr. Atkins took the spe- 

 cies commonly at Punta Rassa on July iS, 1886. Mr. Atkins also finds 

 this a common species at Key West in the winter. 



Sterna hirundo. Common Tern! — The Common Tern is an abundant 

 bird during the spring, but I have no records of its occurrence in the 

 winter months north of Key West. During May and the early part of 

 June the birds were abundant in flocks from Boca Grande, the main inlet 

 to Charlotte Harbor, to John's Pass. The majority of the birds were in 

 the plumage of the first year, and had the peculiar marking of that phase 

 of plumage, a prominent black or dusky band just back of the bones of 

 the forearm. About one bird in ten was in full plumage or assuming it, 

 and a few birds taken were moulting. Mr. Atkins of Key West has 

 found this species not uncommon at Punta Rassa in midsummer (July 

 iS, 1886), and it seems probable that it breeds at some point on the Gulf 

 Coast. 



Sterna dougalli. Roseate Tern.— The only record of the species that 

 I have is a male bird, adult. No. 4860, taken at John's Pass September 24, 

 1886. The bird is in worn plumage, and had not completed the fall 

 moult. 



Sterna antillarum. Least Tern. — A common migrant, and breeds in 

 numbers at almost every point on the coast that I have visited. The 



