43 



Staten Island Association of Arts and Sciences 



Museum and a trip in automobiles to the Britton Cottage. In ad- 

 dition to those present from the museums of Greater New York 

 and vicinity the following institutions were also represented by 

 delegates : the Art Museum and Museum of Natural History, 

 Springfield, Mass., Museum of the Buffalo [N. Y.] Society of Natur- 

 al Sciences, the Public Museum of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the 

 Charleston [S. C] Museum. 



During late May and early June Mr. Cleaves re-visited the 

 east coast of Cape Charles, Virginia, where some time v/as previ- 

 ously spent in 1911. On both occasions the bird life of the coastal 

 islands and of parts of the mainland was studied and photographed 

 — motion pictures being obtained during this latter expedition. 



It was observed that the terns, skimmers and laughing gulls 

 which colonize on the islands and marshes were enjoying a free- 

 dom from molestation which was apparently unknown to these birds 

 six years ago, when several photographs of separate egging parties 

 were secured In addition to the gregarious sea birds certain shore 

 birds seem to be responding readily to the new conditions. A nest 

 of the oyster - catcher, Haematopus palliatus Temm., containing 

 the full complement of three eggs was discovered and photograph- 

 ed, and at least four other pairs of these odd birds were noted. 

 About fifteen pairs of willet, Catoptrophorus s. semipalmatus 

 (Gmel), were counted, and four Wilson's plover, Ochthodromus w. 

 wilsonhis (Ord.), were seen. 



Wardens William Doughty and Thomas Nottingham, in 

 whose hands rests the welfare of these birds, were both en- 

 countered on different days among the bird islands. It was 

 obvious that both men were performing their duties thoroughly. 



Reference was made in the July, 1916, Bulletin to the status 

 of the purple martin, Progne s. subis Linn., in this vicinity, and it 

 was said the bird had never been known to breed on Staten Island. 

 It was stated, however, that " there is no serious reason to think 

 that within three or four years we may not induce a few migrant 

 pairs to establish themselves on Staten Island." 



On June 2, 1917, two purple martins -evidently a pair, al- 

 though neither was in adult male plumage— appeared at the home 

 of the writer at Prince's Bay and took possession of a Jacobs ten- 

 room martin house, which had been erected there about August 1, 

 1916, or well after the end of the breeding season of that year. 

 Since their appearance the two original birds have been joined 

 temporarily by from one to six others ; but these have never re- 

 mained more than a few minutes at a time. Indeed, the presence 

 of the new birds — contrary to the recognized martin customs — 

 did not appear to be welcome to the " founders " These two 

 pioneers have apparently used the martin house as a night-roost 

 from the beginning, and after a few days began to carry in coarse 

 straws and bits of weed stems for a nest foundation. At present 

 — June 14 — the birds have accumulated a noticeable mass of 

 material in the chamber selected by them and now are adding 

 finer straws. 



It would seem that the first nesting record for the purple 

 martin on Staten Island is on the point of becoming a fact. h.h. c. 



