M- 



671 



TSIE 



Vol I. 



HOSTON, MAY, 1885. 



No. 2. 



BREEDING HABITS OF THE 

 BRIDLED TERN. 



(Sterna anosthceta.) 



By C. J. Maynard. 



Just to the eastward of Andros 

 Island, one of the Bahamas, on the 

 extreme outer edge of the reef, lie 

 the Grassy Keys. These are three 

 small Islands, the largest of which 

 cannot be above a half mile in length 

 by only a few hundred yards across. 



South of these islets lie a large 

 chain of keys known as the Washer- 

 women. There are something like 

 sixty of these islets in all, including 

 the smallest sizes, for they vary in 

 area from the smallest point of jag- 

 ged rock, wave-washed during winter 

 storms, and in ■ summer affording 

 a scanty breeding ground for small 

 colonies of Least Terns, to high rocky 

 keys, embracing ten or twelve acres. 



As remarked, these Keys rise 

 from one reef which borders Andros ; 

 and consequently they lie directly on 

 the margin of that remarkable estu- 

 ary of deep water that nearly divides 

 the great Bahama Banks in twain, 

 which is known as the Tongue of 

 Ocean . 



This group of islands stretches 

 from the Grassy Keys southward 

 for some thirty or forty miles, thus 

 extending far be^'^ond the southern ex- 

 tremity of Andros ; consequently the 

 lower islets are in a very exposed 



situation, and as the tide sets directly 

 across them from east to west, and 

 vice versa during ebb and flow, 

 causing a heavy sea, even durin g 

 comparatively calm weather, they are 

 considered quite dangerous, and, with 

 the exception of a few spongers who 

 occasionally land on them, are seldom 

 visited by man. 



We passed the night of May 5th, 

 1884, in lying at anchor in our little 

 vessel under one of the Grassy Keys ; 

 but early the next morning found us 

 beating down the long stretch of 

 Washer-women Keys. In tacking, we 

 came close to several of the larger 

 islets ; near enough to see the Sooty 

 and Noddy Terns sitting on their 

 nests, but refrained from landing, as 

 we Were desirous of reaching the 

 southmost of the line. At last the 

 man at the masthead reported that 

 there was no land in sight beyond the 

 Key which we then had under our lee ; 

 and satisfying myself by ascending 

 the ratlines that there was nothing in 

 the shape of land between us and 

 Cuba, which would not then have 

 been but fifty miles away, I ordered 

 the skipper to haul in for the last 

 Washer- women Key, and in a few 

 minutes we were lying in a little 

 harbor under the high rocky cliffs. 



In a moment our faithful crew 

 had the boat over the side, and, pro- 

 pelled b}' stout arms, we soon landed 

 on the surf-beaten rocks. As I step- 

 ped ashore a cloud of birds, consist- 



