Todd : Birds of Erie and Presque Isle. 505 



by remaining quietly in the boat as the birds came by on their course 

 and picking off such as ventured too close. A single bird flung out as 

 a decoy would almost always bring others within reach, and on one 

 occasion the cries of a wounded bird brought an entire flock headed 

 en masse towards the sound. The first individuals were seen on April 

 13, and the following day a large flock was observed. Practically all 

 of the birds met with thus early in the season were in full adult plumage, 

 with the black hood complete, but towards the latter part of April and 

 during May immature birds were almost exclusively observed. The 

 last were recorded on May 12, but Mr. Bacon has noted them some- 

 what later — May 15, 1901, May 25, 1895. Our recorded date of 

 arrival in 1900, as well as Mr. Simpson's in 1903 (April 13) may pos- 

 sibly be a little early, since Mr. Bacon's notes give April 26 and 24 as 

 the dates of first appearance in .1892 and 1894 respectively, while there 

 is a specimen in Mr. Sennett's collection taken April 23, 1875. Mr. 

 Bacon has also recorded the species in the fall movement as early as 

 August 13 (1902) and 20 (1890), but he adds that it does not gener- 

 ally arrive until the first week in September, remaining into November, 

 while he has even once or twice seen an individual during the winter 

 months — a statement borne out in some measure by Dr. Warren, who 

 says {Birds of Pennsylvania, 1890, 16) that he "observed a flock 

 of a dozen or more of these gulls in company with two or three Her- 

 ring Gulls late in the month of December, 1889." Although observed 

 in August by Mr. Bacon, as above stated, and, although a specimen in 

 Mr. Sennett's collection was taken as early as September 22 (1875), 

 it was not until October 29 that we noted its return in the fall of 1900. 

 By November 1 the birds were common, being seen almost daily 

 thereafter until November 17, and no doubt remaining still later. 

 They were more frequently observed on the main lake at this season, 

 but were scarcely so abundant as in the spring. 



\_Xema sabinii. Sabine's Gull. 



"Accidental in winter on Lake Erie. Mr. Winslow informs me that he took an 

 immature bird of this species in Cleveland harbor many years since." (Wheaton, 

 Birds of Ohio, 1882, 552.) 



Gelochelidon nilotica. Gull-billed Tern. 



" Rare visitor in the vicinity of Cleveland, where taken by Mr. Winslow." (Wheaton, 

 Birds of Ohio, 1882, 553.) It is recorded as breeding at the St. Clair Flats on 

 the authority of Mr. Adolphe B. Covert, and as 'often common on Lake Erie' (in 

 Michigan) on the authority of Mr. Jerome Trombley, (Cook, Birds of Michigan, 

 •893. 29) -J 



