66 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 



Mr. Wedderburn visited the neighbourhood of Cooper's 

 Island yesterday, but was unable to land on Black Rock, 

 opposite the entrance to Castle Harbour. He found it, 

 however, tenanted by forty or fifty of the Roseate Tern, of 

 which he killed seven specimens. A brother officer, who 

 pulled out with him, stated that on .visiting the rock some 

 days previous, the Terns were to be observed sitting there 

 by dozens, and that two kinds were distinguishable, the 

 one (the Roseate) with very forked tails, the other with a 

 tail not forked. It was blowing very fresh from the south- 

 west at the time of Mr. Wedderburn's visit. 



June 17th, 1848. — Examined two beautiful specimens of 

 the Sterna dougalli, or Roseate Tern, brought in by Mr. 

 Wedderburn from Black Rock to-day. They measured 

 fourteen and three-fourth inches in length, and were beau- 

 tifully tinged on the lower parts with roseate. One egg 

 like that mentioned on the 8th was also brought in. 



Same day examined two specimens of the Sterna hirun- 

 do, or Common Tern of Audubon. These birds were shot 

 in the same locality as the former species, and probably 

 breed there, forming together a little social community of 

 their own. This is the first and only time this Tern has 

 come under my observation in Bermuda. It is, therefore, 

 an addition to our stock of knowledge on these matters. 

 Length, fourteen and a half inches ; wing, eleven inches, i.e., 

 the carpal joints ; bill, two inches to the gape, or one and 

 six-tenths from the forehead. Wings somewhat longer than 

 the tail. In the Roseate Tern the tail exceeded the wings 

 in length by upwards of an inch. 



Wilson describes this Tern as being fifteen inches in 

 length. Audubon says the male is sixteen. Eyes, black. 



