436 Mr. Tom.Iredale on Sterna fuscata. 



Hutton suggested that the last-named might be the best 

 solution^ but my experience leads me to select the second, 

 and this would also account for the non-differentiation of the 

 Meyer Island form. A species subject to much variation is 

 less likely to show a fixed difference through slight isolation 

 in a short time. 



It is regrettable at the present time to see the ignorance 

 of this group displayed by many writers who pretend to 

 knowledge which they do not possess. Many of the state- 

 ments made by Pycraft in his various works are inaccurate 

 and misleading, as, written in a general manner, they have 

 been adopted from special cases. In the ' Monograph of 

 Petrels ' an article '' On the Systematic Position of the 

 Petrels ^' includes the following sentence : " The young 

 when hatched are blind. '^ I have never seen a blind nest- 

 ling of (EstJ'elata or Puffinus, though I have seen them 

 emerging from the egg. 



XXVI. — On Sterna fuscata Linne. 

 By Tom Irbdale, M.B.O.U. 



(Plate XVI.) 



The beach at Sunday Island, in the Kermadec Group, when 

 I landed was covered with breeding Wideawake Terns. 

 As the season was well advanced half-grown young were 

 plentiful, and the contrast between these dusky birds and 

 their beautiful clean, boldly marked black and white parents, 

 was a sight to remember. For weeks the work of camp 

 building and luggage carrying made it necessary to pass 

 amongst them many times daily. This dreary work done, 

 much time was spent in photographing them and studying 

 their habits. 



Had I the pen of a Howard or Selous, pages might have 

 been written and much interesting life-history related. As 

 it is I cannot recount the curious antics which these birds 

 indulged in, but I offer an illustration of a peculiar attitude 



