506 CAYENNE TERN. 



to the water disabled, they at once endeavoured to make off from the 

 shores, swimming with buoyancy and grace, though without making much 

 progress. When seized they at once erected their beautiful crest, threw 

 up the contents of their stomach, uttered loud cries, and bit severely. 

 One that was merely touched in the wing, and brought ashore, through 

 a high surf, by my Newfoundland dog, stuck fast to his nose until forced 

 to relinquish its hold by having its throat squeezed, after which it dis- 

 gorged seven partially digested fishes. 



Although the Cayenne Tern often searches for food over the sea, and 

 at times several miles from the shore, it gives a decided preference to the 

 large inlets running parallel to the coast of the Floridas, within the high 

 sandy embankments, as well as the rivers in the interior of the peninsula. 

 They alight on the banks of racoon oysters, so abundant in the inlets, 

 and are seen in company with the Semipalmated Snipe and the American 

 Oystercatcher, searching for food like these birds, and devouring crabs 

 and such fishes as are confined in small shallow pools. These they catch 

 with considerable agility, in a manner not employed by any of our other 

 Terns. While on the St John''s River, I saw them alight on stakes, in 

 the manner of the Marsh Tern and the Noddy ; and as I ascended that 

 stream, I often saw them, at the distance of seventy miles from the sea, 

 perched in the middle of the river, on the same sticks as the Florida 

 Cormorants, and found them more easily approached in the dusk than 

 during broad daylight. Until then I had supposed this species to be en- 

 tirely oceanic, and averse from mingling with any other. 



The flight of the Cayenne Tern is strong and well sustained, although 

 less lively or graceful than that of the smaller species, excepting on par- 

 ticular occasions. They usually incline their bill downwards, as they 

 search for their prey, like the other Terns, but keep at a much greater 

 height, and plunge towards the waters with the speed of an arrow, to seize 

 on small fishes, of which they appear to capture a great number, espe- 

 cially of the " mullets," which we saw moving about in shoals, composed 

 of individuals of different sizes. When travelling, these birds generally 

 proceed in lines ; and it requires the power of a strong gale to force them 

 back, or even to impede their progress, for they beat to windward with 

 remarkable vigour, rising, falling, and tacking to I'ight and left, so as to 

 seize every possible opportunity of making their way. In calm and plea- 

 sant weather, they pass at a great height, with strong unremitted flap- 

 pings, uttering at intervals their cries, which so nearly resemble the shriek- 



