DELAWARE VALLEY ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 9 



from the Delaware, feeding on dead alewives during the shad 

 season. Like the herring gull they feed on floating offal, 

 though they do not disturb living fish. 



Common Tern {Sterna hinmdo). Occurs in small numbers 

 along our rivers and other inland waters, during migrations. 

 Along the coast it feeds chiefly on small fish, as silversides 

 (Menidia menidia notnta), and crustaceans.' I have frequently 

 seen this tern at Atlantic City, Great Bay and Ocean City, fly- 

 by with a bright silvery fish grasped in its bill, likely a silver- 

 sides. In fresh water the tern doubtless secures cyprinoids 

 (Hybognathus nuchalis regius and Notropis hudsonius amarus), 

 and killifish (Fandulus heteroclitus macrolepidotus and F. dia- 

 phanus). 



Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus). Occurs 

 along the coast, and in the Delaware River tidal during spring 

 and fall. The cormorant is an adept fisher, and devours great 

 quantities of the smaller fishes along our coast, such as ancho- 

 vies (Anchoviabrownii, A. mitchilli), silversides (Menidia menidia 

 notata), young pampanos {Trachinotus carolinus), etc. The 

 above list is from the schools of small fish I found about the 

 pounds in Delaware Bay, and off the shores of New Jersey, 

 Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. In such places cormorants 

 were abundant. I only examined the stomachs of two birds, 

 killed in Pennsylvania, and they were empty. 



Common Merganser {Mergus americanus) . Abundant in 

 winter on our larger rivers, sometimes in large flocks. Though 

 often killed and brought into the markets of Philadelphia, it is 

 not highly valued, on account of its poor and often fishy flavor. 

 This merganser often frequents reservoirs in cities, where it finds 

 security and a food-supply in the fishes living in such places. 

 These usually consist of carp (Oyprinus carpio), silver-fins 

 {Notropis whipplii analostanus) , spot-tails (N. hudsonius ama- 

 rus), and sunfish (Eupomotis gibbosus). The variety of fish 

 eaten is likely very great, as I have several gobies (Gobiosoma- 

 bosci') and a small sole (Achirus fasciatus) taken from an ex- 

 ample secured at Chincoteague, Virginia, by Mr. I. N. De- 



iRep. N. J. State Mus., 1911 (1912), p. 363. 



