398 



Bird -Lore 



by hunters of recent years. Nearly every season, however, storms cause the 

 loss of many young birds and eggs, especially on the low-lying islands of 

 the South. 



The past summer was an exceptionally good one for the birds, as no severe 

 storms occurred during the critical period of the colonies. Thus, at Gardiner's 

 Island, N. Y., at least 2,000 Terns reared their young, while, on the neigh- 

 boring shores, probably 500 Fish Hawks returned to their accustomed summer 

 home. At the end of the season the warden wrote: "Terns and Fish Hawks all 

 left during an easterly storm September 19." 



On the Louisiana coast there was some disturbance by fishermen robbing 

 the nests of Gulls and Terns. As the birds again laid eggs no very great dam- 

 age resulted. 



The warden at Dry Tortugas, Fla., states that 400 Sooty Terns, mostly 

 young, lost their lives by the attacks of Man-o'-war Birds and as the result of 

 accidents. When we consider that there were probably 80,000 of these birds 

 nesting on the Island, the mortality may be considered small. 



The warden at Gott's Island, Maine, states that many young Herring 

 Gulls died because of cold, rainy weather at hatching-time. 



Last year, mention was made that a fish factory had been erected on No- 

 Man's Land, Maine, with the result that the birds were greatly disturbed by 

 the presence of men working at the factory, and by foxes that had been liber- 

 ated on the island. A representative of the Association who visited the place 

 this year reports, 'T found only one Gull egg." Thus by human activity was 

 the largest bird colony on the coast north of South Florida entirely dispersed. 



LEVY LAKE, FLORIDA, IN THE HEART OF THE ECiRET COUNTRY. 

 Photograph by T. Gilbert Pearson. 



