642 NOTES ON SOME OF THE 



of about half a mile. Only thinly clothed with beach grass, 

 it is naturally well suited to the breeding habits of the sev- 

 eral species of Terns that regularly resort to it to breed. 

 Though uninhabited by man and quite distant from large 

 towns, the birds are far from secure there. -Besides the daily 

 visits of small egging parties during the proper season from 

 Nantucket and other near points, excursions are made by 

 large parties from distant places to the island for the express 

 purpose of participating in the novelty of an egg hunt, with 

 sad results to the birds, as above stated. This is certainly a 

 matter that the "Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to 

 Animals" should look after. 



ARCTIC TERN. Sterna macroura Naum. In company 

 with the preceding are found a certain proportion of these 

 birds. Last year Mr. Maynard and myself found them 

 breeding apart from the others on the island of Muskeget. 

 We also found them at Ipswich, as Mr. Maynard has also 

 done the present year. In voice and habits, however, the 

 two seem not to differ in the slightest, nor in general size. 

 In color they only differ as young birds often do from older 

 ones of the same species, the $. macroura corresponding to 

 the mature form and the 8. hirundo to the younger. The 

 tarsi and the bill in $. macroura seemed to be generally the 

 shorter, but not always. In color 8. macroura was always 

 the brighter, without the black tip of the bill seen in 8. 

 hirundo; the black on the head is generally more intense 

 and better defined ; the sooty wash beneath is much deeper, 

 and the white of the rump purer. The tarsus was not only 

 shorter but had a roughened appearance not seen in the 

 other, they differing in the latter respect much as young birds 

 in this and allied families frequently do from those perfectly 

 mature. On the whole there seemed to be good reasons for 

 believing them to be simply different ages of the same 

 species. The young of 8. macroura being then unknown, 

 it was evident that the discovery of them would afford deci- 

 sive evidence on the point in question. Fortunately this 



