Z()OL()(^,ICAL SOCIKT^' HULLETIN 



i6y 



SKA HIKUS' KGGS IN THE INCUKAT( 



at it and swallowed it without an efifort. This ex- 

 plains the fact that for two or three days the terns 

 and gull have acted strangely when they caught 

 sight of the medicine dropper, rushing at it and 

 trying to engulf it. The white, glistening tube 

 evidently awakened an instinct which became 

 evident when an actual minnow ap])eared. The 

 gaping upward of the terns pmlialil) imlitatfs 

 that, for a few days at least, 

 their food consists of regur- 

 gitated fish, but the contin- 

 ual pecking, pecking of the 

 skimmer was a mystery un- 

 til, acting on the hint given 

 by the feeding of the whole 

 lish, I presented one to a 

 newly-hatched skimmer, 

 holding it in the forceps, as 

 his [larent might in her queer 

 mandibles. Instantly he 

 reached for it, inserting his 

 thii\ mandibles between the 

 blades of the forcei)s, and 

 swallowed the inch-long lisli 

 as if it was his twentieth 

 meal instead of his first. 

 So Skimmers are doubtless 

 fed from the first on entire 

 fish. The sharp mandibles 



of Skimmer only cut the macerated fish in two, 

 but the etTect on the solid body of the entire fish 

 showed how liille 1 had understood his wants here- 



tofore. After eating three 

 small fish at once, little 

 Skimmer was compelled to 

 crouch on the sand for some 

 time, the weight of his meal 

 — not far from that of him- 

 self—forcing him prone. 



Two of the least terns had 

 not yet learned to feed them- 

 selves, but they .soon learned 

 from Sprawler and Samson. 

 Aug. 3. — The young 

 birds' menu for to-day was 

 as follows: 



Skimmer, 11 fish, 5 feed- 

 ings. 



Sprawler, 1 1 fish, 5 feed- 

 in g.s. 



Samson, 10 fish, 5 feed- 

 ings. 



Gull, 16 fish, 5 feedings. 

 One least tern, 10 fish, 5 feedings. 

 Aug. 5. — The birds differ much in the way they 

 receive their fish. Skimmer sits still, flutters his 

 wings and reaches forward for it; Gull opens his 

 mouth wide and takes it rather slowly; Sprawler 

 and Samson gape like robins, and dance up and 

 down; while the least terns rush like an arrow, 

 siiaU li the fish and no to a corner to gulp il down. 



KIMMI.K lll.K(i\. \\li lIRNs.llsl ll\llllll> 



riuir impetus and dash seem to hint of the flying 

 plunge with which adult terns secure their food. 

 .\ug. 10. — Birds thriving. Skimmer (18 days 



