No. 4.] KErORT OF STATE ORNITHOLOGIST. 335 



In July several trips were made for the purpose of investi- 

 gating the condition of certain colonies of gulls, terns, herons, 

 san(liii])ers and })lover along the coast. Some correspondents 

 had alleged that there were still some great blue herons breed- 

 ing in the State, but no evidence of this was seen. In Barn- 

 stable and Dukes counties three large colonies of night herons 

 were found. These birds have decreased greatly within the 

 last twenty-five or thirty years ; but one of the colonies is now 

 protected by the owner of the land, and bids fair to remain 

 there for so long at least as this protection continues. 



On July 10, 1908, the well-known colony of least terns at 

 Katama Bay was inspected. The terns of New England were 

 so persecuted by the agents of the milliners that at one time 

 these birds were in danger of extinction. The least terns 

 have been more nearly extirpated than any other species, and 

 it is now believed that there are practically no least terns 

 breeding upon the North Atlantic coast of the United States, 

 except those on the coast of Massachusetts. The colony at 

 Katama Bay was generally believed to be the largest left in 

 New England. The birds there evidently are decreasing 

 somewhat ; 24 birds were counted there at one time, and there 

 were probably 30 nesting on the beach. Twelve nests were 

 found, with one to three eggs in each, and two young just 

 hatched were seen. Later visits to the same locality gave 

 evidence that many of the eggs had hatched. Natives of the 

 island said that some of these birds are killed while their 

 young are still small, by gimners who legally can shoot on 

 the beach during July and August. Late in the fall the Com- 

 missioners on Fisheries and Game appointed a warden at 

 Edgartown, who, it is hoped, will be able to protect the terns 

 on this beach. Visits to many islands and beaches during 

 the months of July and August revealed several other colo- 

 nies of the least tern, and 173 birds were seen. There are 

 probably at least 200 individuals of the species breeding on 

 the coast and islands of Massachusetts, and they are slightly 

 increasing in numbers. It is ho])ed that this small remuant of 

 the vast host of least terns formerly breeding on our coasts 

 may be preserved and increased until they reoccupy a large 

 part of the region in which they formerly dwelt. 



