388 Mackay, The Terns of Muskeget Island. Au 
neither did I notice but few chicks which were unable to fly; 
everything in fact evidenced a most successful and _ prolific 
breeding year for the birds. As the whole month of July had 
been wet and cold, with a very heavy gale, accompanied with 
torrents of rain, commencing on the night of July 4 and continu- 
ing until the afternoon of the sth, I feared that a diminution in 
the number of young birds might be expected as a result of these 
conditions. Contrary, however, to these expectations nothing’ 
disastrous took place. The young were flying earlier than usual, 
and I cannot help thinking that the mortality among the young 
chicks from natural causes was less than usual. It will certainly 
be a grand sight to see them all here next season. 
During my first visit here, June 27, 1896, I observed one Short- 
eared Owl (Asvo accipitrinus). ‘This bird evidently had a mate, and 
together they raised a brood of four young, for during my last visit 
I noted six on the 27th of July. Idevoted much time in trying to 
get near enough to shoot them. After much labor, as they were 
very shy, I killed one of the younger ones, which was fully grown. 
Together they must have destroyed a good many young Terns 
this season, and are likely to return next year to their breeding 
haunt.’ It was particularly interesting to note with what perfect 
indifference they received the attacks of a thousand or more Terns 
which collected around them, whenever they appeared in the air, 
and even when alighted on the sand there was usually a large 
concourse hovering over them. I could not perceive that the 
Terns annoyed them in the least. 
As heretofore, I desire to say a few words regarding the status 
of the Laughing Gulls (Larus atricilla) for 1896. For several 
days previously it had been thick, foggy weather ; when it cleared, 
on May g, the Laughing Gulls were heard for the first time this 
season. On the 17th of May Mr. Sandsbury noted that there 
seemed to be more of them than usual. On May 29 he wrote me 
that he “never saw so many.” On June 27, 1896, I ‘carefully 
walked all over their breeding ground, which is the same as last 
year, and the only one on these islands. It is located on the 
1 All but one were shot before the close of the season. The one left was 
probably a migrant, as six in all had been killed. 
