A Visit to the Lake Erie Terns 



125 



walked away, and the disappointed youngster ran back under the log. 

 Again she advanced and a second bird ran out, also to be refused. Then 

 she arose and joined the noisy flock above. Presently she or another came 

 back and repeated the performance. From the testimony of the other 

 watchers, this scene was enacted again and again in different parts of the 

 island. Did the mother change her mind at the last moment, and decide 

 that it was unsafe to bring her little ones into the open and feed them in 

 the time of disturbance, or did she find that they were not her own ? In 

 the latter case, the little ones, who plainly expected to be fed, are less dis- 

 criminating than the parents, or perhaps they merely recognized the food. 

 I did not see any birds actually fed, though a great many old Terns walk- 

 ing about with laden beaks were visible from my hiding place, and in many 

 cases they seemed to dispose of their prey before taking flight. 



THE TERNS LEAVING THE ISLAND 



The photographer, however, was more fortunate. On his end of the 

 island there was very little cover, and half a dozen chicks were caught in 

 the open and remained in plain view. To these the old birds came with 

 food, and after many false starts and many retreats, they succeeded in find- 

 ing the right chicks, disposed of their burdens and flew away. This seems 

 to indicate that the bird under my observation was unable to find her own 

 young, as timidity would have had more efifect in the open than in the 

 more sheltered position. One case related by the photographer was very 

 comical. A mother hunting for her little chick invariably went too close 

 to a full-grown 'squab.' (When just hatched they resemble young 

 chickens, but at this stage they are much like young pigeons.) This greedy 

 fellow made a dive for the minnow and succeeded in catching hold of it. 

 The old bird tried to rise and carry it out of reach, but the squab had firm 

 hold and after much flapping and struggling she yielded and went away for 



