Wayne: Birds of South Carolina. 7 



18. Sterna antillarum (Less.). Least Tern. 



As a result of the custom of adorning women's hats with birds, 

 these beautiful little terns have become practically, if not abso- 

 lutely, extinct on this coast, where their graceful presence during 

 the spring and summer months added a peculiar charm to the 

 islands on which they bred. From 1878 to 1886, these terns 

 bred in thousands on the extreme eastern end of Sullivan's Island, 

 and also on Long, Dewees, Capers' and Bull's Islands, but they 

 were mercilessly persecuted during the breeding season. All 

 were shot that could be reached, very few being left. Hunters 

 came from the north with regular outfits to wage war against 

 these poor, defenceless creatures, and in one season alone, all of 

 these terns breeding on Bull's Island were killed. About May 

 13, full complements of three or four eggs were to be seen. Only 

 one brood was raised. The eggs are of a grayish or buffy color, 

 spotted with dark brown and lilac, and measure 1.25 X-90. 



19. Sterna anasthetus Scop. Bridled Tern. 



This species is tropical, and is accidental on our coast. A 

 specimen was taken at Frogmore, St. Helena Island, August 25, 

 1885, by Mr. Walter Hoxie, and was recorded by Mr. William 

 Brewster. 1 It was a young male, shot immediately after the 

 great cyclone of 1885, and is now in Mr. Brewster's collection. 



20. Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis (Gmel.). Black Tern. 



This peculiarly marked tern is a transient visitant very rarely 

 seen in the spring migration, but exceedingly abundant in late 

 summer and early autumn. It generally ' arrives during the 

 latter part of July, and I mention July 10, 1894, as my earliest 

 record. I have not observed it after the first week in October. 



The Black Tern winters as far south as Chile. 



FAMILY RYNCHOPID^: SKIMMERS. 



21. Rynchops nigra Linn. Black Skimmer. 



The local name of this species on the South Carolina coast is 

 "Shearwater." It is a summer resident, arriving about the mid- 

 dle of April and remaining until late in the autumn — November 16, 

 1885, being my latest record. The birds arrive while in moult, 



<-Auk, III, 1886, 131. 



