1 68 Mackay, Tertis of Muskeget Island, Mass. LADnl 



THE TERNS OF MUSKEGET ISLAND, MASSACHU- 

 SETTS. PART IV.i 



BY GEORGE H. MACKAY. 



Although the readers of ' The Auk ' may be by this time 

 familiar with my subject, I am nevertheless tempted to risk being 

 thought monotonous in again presenting for their perusal further 

 matter similar in character to some of my previous articles. I do 

 this for the reason that the occupants of the breeding resorts to 

 which my data relate may at any time transfer themselves to other 

 places where perhaps such observations cannot be easily taken. 

 Civilization is continually encroaching upon and appropriating 

 such places along the coast until there remain at the present 

 time few localities adapted for such breeding resorts. My desire 

 to record what observations I have made in view of the possibility 

 of the birds leaving us, is my excuse for the present contribution. 

 The Muskeget Island Terns, Sterna /lirttJido, Ster?ia paradiscea^ 

 •and Sterna dougalli, and the Laughing Gulls, Larus atricilla, under 

 the protection extended to them by a few individuals for a series 

 •of years, have increased from small numbers at the beginning to 

 ■colonies of magnificent proportions in 1896, at which time the 

 Terns, S. hiriindo and S. dougalli, were beyond estimate, while the 

 Laughing Gulls had increased to a fairly good sized colony, after 

 having virtually abandoned these waters. The Terns of Penikese 

 Island had never until 1897 enjoyed an entire undisturbed breed- 

 ing season, when I interested myself in their behalf. As a result 

 the increase has been a subject of remark among people living 

 in the vicinity. At both Muskeget and Penikese Islands the sit- 

 uation is precarious, inasmuch as the birds may be compelled at 

 any time to seek new breeding grounds elsewhere. Life saving 

 stations, fortifications, etc., located in their midst, are likely to 

 prove disturbing factors. 



I visited and remained on Muskeget Island July 3-5, 1897, and 

 while there made, as has heretofore been my custom, an exhaus- 



1 Read before the Nuttall Ornithological Club, October 18, 1897. 



