Vol. II, Pt. I] GIFFORD— BIRDS OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 19 



(56.7) ; tarsus 25.7-29 (27.2) ; middle toe and claw 56.3-60.7 

 (59.1). 



The colors of the naked parts of the adults in life were as 

 follows : Upper mandible mostly black ; lower mandible black- 

 ish, becoming fleshy pink at base ; iris claret-brown ; feet black, 

 usually mottled with grayish white. 



Sterna fuliginosa: Sooty Tern 



Grossman, Culpepper, and Wenman islands. 



Although confined almost exclusively to Culpepper and 

 Wenman islands and their vicinity, this tern was observed 

 near the Crossman Islands on August 19, 1906. None were 

 seen at Wenman on September 24, 1906, although they have 

 been reported from that locality.^ Several, however, were 

 heard during the night between that island and Culpepper. 

 On the north side of Culpepper on the following day, the air 

 swarmed with these birds, most of them flying very high, and, 

 judging by the incessant twittering sound which reached our 

 ears, apparently all calling. This species nests on the top 

 of Culpepper Island, which is inaccessible on account of the 

 high clififs on all sides. 



During September, 1905, from latitude 3° 6' North, longi- 

 tude 84° 9' West, southeast to Manta, Ecuador, and from 

 there west to the Galapagos Islands, no Sooty Terns were 

 seen. South of the Galapagos Islands during the months of 

 May and June, 1906, they were met with three times : 



May 8, latitude 2° 29' South, longitude 90° 4' West — one. 

 June 9, latitude 3° 39' South, longitude 93° 1' West — two. 

 June 13, latitude 3° 6' South, longitude 91° 26' West — one. 



Inasmuch as we were cruising off and on south of the archi- 

 pelago, for two months, we had ample opportunity for obser- 

 vation. The almost total absence of this species in this region 

 and off the coast of Colombia and Ecuador as far south as 

 Manta bears out Mr. Saunders' statement that it is "Almost 

 unknown on the South American side of the Pacific."^ 



On the voyage from San Francisco to the Revilla Gigedo 

 Islands, the Sooty Tern was met with on two occasions. On 



^Nov. Zool., V. 6, p. 191. 



^Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., v. 25, p. 110. 



