Vol. XIV 
1897 Mackay, The Terns of Muskeget Island. 387 
My next visit to Muskeget was on July 26 and 27, 1896. On 
the former date the sun was overcast but with a very clear atmos- 
phere, so much so that I could easily distinguish the less distinct 
markings of the birds in the air with great accuracy. I visited 
Gravelly Island first, as usual, and with Mr. Sandsbury looked it 
well over. He informs me the first young birds he casually noticed 
in the air about Muskeget Island proper was on July 19. 
We found scarcely any chicks here which were unable to fly, 
and there were large numbers of young birds in the air all around 
the island. We counted in all fifty-four dead chicks here. 
Proceeding on, we soon landed on the South Beach. As I have 
before stated, the atmosphere was peculiarly favorable for viewing 
birds in the air, and I have never but once before had a similar 
experience here; as a result, I selected and shot nine Terns which 
were flying overhead with the idea of their being S. paradisea, 
(two of them were shot on South Point, Muskeget Island) ; eight 
of them proved to be such; the other, with fully as dark under- 
parts, had the black-tipped bill of the Wilson Tern (S. Azrundo). 
I saved the other skins, but not this one. I saw other Arctic 
Terns, besides those taken. 
All the Terns here are very gentle and tame, and show a marked 
contrast to the Terns of Penikese Island, Massachusetts, which 
are wild and shy, the result of the treatment they have been 
subjected to. JI found but few chicks here unable to fly; all the 
others were in the air about us; there were quite a number, 
however, which could not sustain themselves in the air for any 
great length of time. 
Crossing over to South Point Island we found the same condi- 
tions prevailing, the young birds were mostly in the air and we 
saw comparatively few chicks unable to fly. Walking over the 
recently formed beach, which now connects this former island 
with Muskeget:Island proper, we reached South Point. I noticed 
here twenty-four dead chicks; in other respects the conditions 
were identical with those on South Point Island. 
On July 27, 1896, I walked over all the breeding grounds on 
Muskeget Island proper, where incubation was also practically 
over. There were, of course, more or less eggs observed, but the 
percentage they bore to the original number was very small; 
