386 



return again and calmly resume their wonted occupation. When satisfied, this bird betakes 

 itself to some buoy marking a sunken fishpot, and there reposes. The fishermen on returning 

 to their pots at early day often find it sitting on their buoys, so fearless that the canoe will 

 almost touch it before it will fly. Though webfooted, it is rarely known to swim; and when 

 wounded, struggles in the water as a land bird would do. In Florida, Audubon found this Tern 

 surprisingly shy. At first the birds were in great flocks, resorting at low water to a large flat 

 sandbar, where they reposed awaiting the return of the tide. For several days he was unable to 

 procure a specimen, and only succeeded by employing several boats to join in the pursuit. 

 After one had been wounded there was no difficulty in procuring others. He found this Tern on 

 the St. John's River, at a distance of several miles from the sea. When disturbed at its breeding- 

 place, it manifests the noisy displeasure so characteristic of its tribe, uttering loud cries that 

 may be heard to the distance of half a mile or more. 



" On the 11th of May, 1832, Audubon' saw it breeding on one of the Tortugas. The eggs 

 had been dropped on the bare sand a few yards from highwater mark, and during the heat of 

 the day none of the birds paid much attention to them. The number of eggs was usually two, 

 but sometimes only one." 



Eggs in my collection, taken by my friend the late Dr. A. L. Heermann on the Florida 

 Keys, are buffy white, with underlying purplish-grey shell-spots and blackish-brown surface-spots, 

 and are very much paler and more sparingly marked than those of Sterna caspia. In size they 

 measure 2"59 by 1*71 inch. Messrs. Baird, Brewer, and Bidgway remark that the eggs 

 are remarkably uniform in their general characteristics, and they describe them as being 

 pale yellowish in ground-colour, spotted with dark umber and faint purple, and measuring 

 2-75 by 1-80 inch. 



The adult in summer plumage figured and described is a specimen for the loan of which I 

 am indebted to Mr. Howard Saunders, and the other specimens described and figured are in my 

 own collection. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined, besides the series in the British 

 Museum, the following specimens : — 



E Mus. E. E. Dresser. 



a, ad. Chiapam, Guatemala, winter (0. Salvin). b,juv. Jamaica [W. T. March). 



E Mus. J. J. Dalgleish. 

 a, ad. Winter, Tangier. 



E Mus. Rothschild. 



a, <J ad. Georgia, May 15th, 1888 (Ridgway). b, ad. September 7th; c, ad. September 10th, ]888, Tangier 

 (Olcese). 



