18 THE BIRDS 
FAMILY RYNCHOPID-A.—SKIMMERS. 
GENUs RYNCHops. 
[80]. Rynchops nigra (Linneus). Black Skimmer. 
[Flood Gull. Cut-Water]. 
Ranexr.—Tropical and temperate America. Breeds 
from Virginia (formerly New Jersey) to the Gulf Coast 
and Texas; wanders casually north to the Bay of Fundy; 
winters from the Gulf Coast to Colima, Mexico, and 
Costa Rica; casual in the West Indies. 
Of all the sea-birds nesting on our coast, this species is 
holding its own and increasing more rapidly than any 
other species. The apparent reason for this is that they 
arrive from the south late in the spring, about May 5th, 
when all the gunning after beach birds is practically 
finished, and therefore is seldom shot by the gunners for 
sport, should other birds be scarce. Then again they do 
not commence laying until the latter part of June, the 
season being at its height the 5th of July, by which time 
the taking of sea-birds’ eggs, by the surrounding inhabit- 
ants for food, is stopped; and all danger of high tides or 
bad storms is past. They are a graceful bird on the wing, 
but around the breeding grounds of slow flight, making 
them easy marks for the gunner, and are of course unfit 
for food. It is a wonderful sight to stand in the center 
of the breeding grounds of a large flock of these birds, 
slight hollows in the sandy beach filled with eggs on every 
hand, as far as the eye can see them, while overhead and 
