118 



THE OOLOGISl 



He died suddenly from heart trouble a 

 few days since while at his work. Mr. 

 Priddy was a collector of shells and 

 took quite and interest in that branch 

 of science." 



Bird Life of a Virginia Island. 



Cobb's Island, a narrow strip of land 

 lying on the coast of Virginia in the 

 Atlantic Ocean near the southeast end 

 of the peninsula formed by Northamp- 

 ton county, was in former years, a fav- 

 orite collecting ground for ornitholo- 

 gists and oolcgists. While of but a 

 limited area, some nine miles in length, 

 and six miles wide at its greatest 

 breath, its conditions as a breeding 

 ground for seafowl were most favora- 

 ble, and, each year, vast numbers of 

 them nested along its stretches of salt 

 marsh and beach. The ornithologist 

 here found a bird-metropolis of a most 

 interesting nature, presenting a popu- 

 lation of thousands. 



During June-July, 1895, I spent three 

 weeks on the island among its birds. 

 The season was a favorable one, and 

 all the specimens were nesting. From 

 the time our boat slipped from the 

 mainland shore and set sail for the 

 island, birds were numerous. Com- 

 mon and Forster's Terns, with their 

 graceful airy flight, hovered around 

 the boat, darting suddenly to the water 

 sometimes, sending up splashes of 

 spray and catching small fish that ven- 

 tured too near the surface. 



Merry Laughing Gulls, in pairs, fly- 

 ing low over the surface of the water, 

 each bird of a pair keeping close to its 

 mate, so that their wings nearly touch- 

 ed, indicated that the species was 

 breeding. Black Skimmers passed us 

 now and then, and toward the horizon 

 a long black line of Surf Scoters rested 

 on the water, this species lingering 

 even at so late a date. Gulled-billed 

 and Black Terns, in small numbers, 

 and a single Royal or Caspian Tern 

 passed by the boat. 



We reached the island late in the af- 

 ternoon, and stopped at the little hotel, 

 (now washed away.) The following 

 morning, equipped with hip boots, 

 some old clothes and a spacious wicker 

 basket (for eggs, ) I started for the salt 

 marshes of the western side. In order 

 to reach these to advantage I hired a 

 sail boat and a worthy sea-captain to 

 manage it. An hour later we were 

 among the great colonies of Laughing 

 Gulls [Larus atricilla.) Thousands of 

 these birds hovered over the marsh, 

 their cries, in union, creating a terrific 

 din when we neared the nests. The 

 sky was nearly obscured by the vast 

 number of circling birds. This was my 

 first experience among sea fowl, and, 

 what a revelation it was! All over the 

 marsh the nests were scattered. They 

 were built of marsh grass and other 

 similar material, sometimes raised two 

 feet above the ground, and most of 

 them held sets of three eggs, while sets 

 of four were found in several. Many 

 of the eggs were merely laid upon the 

 "wind-rows" of weed and grass. I 

 could have gathered several basket fuls 

 of eggs, but took only a few of the 

 handsomer sets. While looking over 

 the the "wind-rows" 1 ran across a 

 number of sets of Forster's Tern 

 [Sterna hirundo) laid upon the rows 

 without any attempt at a nest, a mere 

 depression having been made and the 

 eggs laid in it. I also ran across sev- 

 eral fairly well made nests of this spec- 

 ies, of grasses, placed on top of the 

 "wind-rows." As I went to examine a 

 particularly well made Gull's nest, I 

 nearly stepped on a Clapper Rail {Rall- 

 us crepitans) that was sitting on her 

 nest of nine eggs. This was my first 

 set of this species and I was naturally 

 elated at my find. The Capfain per- 

 ceiving this, told me that I could gath- 

 er a barrel of these eggs if I so desired, 

 which statement proved true, and 

 some twelve sets taken. The Clapper 

 Rails themselves were not much in 



