ROSEATE TERN. -297 



You may rest assured that I took precious care of those which I had pro- 

 cured, but not another individual was robbed of hfe on that excursion. 

 The other Terns were as new to me. I observed the form of their black 

 bill and feet, the yellow tip of the former, and wrapped them up with 

 care, while I tried to recollect the name they bore in books. To have 

 found hundreds of the Roseate Tern in the Floridas, while I had anxious 

 but slender hopes of meeting it on the coast of Labrador, was to me 

 quite astonishing. So it was, however, and I determined to ransack every 

 key and sand-beach, to try to find its breeding-ground. Nor were my 

 desires ungratified. 



The Roseate Tern spends the breeding season along the southern 

 shores of the Floridas in considerable numbers. At different times in the 

 course of nearly three months which I spent among the keys, I saw flocks 

 of twenty, thirty, or more pairs, breeding on small detached rocky islands, 

 scantily furnished with grass, and in the company of hundreds of Sand- 

 wich Terns. The two species appeared to agree well together, and their 

 nests were intermingled. The full number of eggs of the present species 

 is three. They differ considerably in size and markings ; their average 

 length, however, is an inch and three quarters, their breadth an inch and 

 one-eighth ; they are of a longish oval shape, rather narrowed at the 

 small end, of a dull buff or clay colour, sparingly sprinkled and spotted 

 with different tints of umber and light purple. They were deposited on 

 the bare rocks, among the roots of the grasses, and left in fair weather to 

 the heat of the sun. Like those of the Common Tern and other species, 

 they are delicious eating. The eggs of the Sandwich Tern were more 

 attended to during the day, but toward night both species sat on their 

 eggs. I did not see any of the young, but procured a good immber of 

 those of the preceding year, which kept apart from the old birds, but had 

 in all respects the same habits. 



The Roseate Tern is at all times a noisy, restless bird ; and on ap- 

 proaching its breeding place, it incessantly emits its sharp shrill cries, re- 

 sembling the syllable crak. Its flight is unsteady and flickering, like that 

 of the Arctic or Lesser Terns, but rather more buoyant and graceful. 

 They would dash at us and be off again with astonishing quickness, 

 making great use of their tail on such occasions. While in search of prey, 

 they carry the bill in the manner of the Common Tern, that is perpen- 

 dicularly downward, plunge like a shot, with wings nearly closed, so as 

 to immerse part of the body, and immediately reascend. They were seen 



