THE COLLECTORS' MONTHLY. 



- 



The Collectors' monthly. 



A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Study of 

 Ornithology, Oology and Natural History. 



CHARLES H. PRINCE 



Editor and Publisher, Danielsonville, Conn. 



U. S. A. 



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Entered at the Post Office at Danielsonville 

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Woods Hull,, Mass., March 11, "91. 

 Mr. Prince : — 



The March Xo. of the Collector's 

 Monthly at hand and I think that I may 

 safely say that I ha.ve never seen it's 

 equal for the money, don't think that [ 

 could get along without it now that I 

 have begun taking it. Enclosed is a por- 

 tion of an article which if you think fit for 

 publication, I will continue each month 

 in articles of about this length until con- 

 cluded. 



Description of the Wests and 



Eggs of l lie Birds of 



Barnstable County. 



In preparing this article, let me 

 state, that I have had access to 

 several private collections, and am 

 considerably indebted to Messrs H. 

 G. White, V. N. Edwards, and others, to 

 whom credit is given in the text. The 

 numbers used are according to the latest 

 A. 0. I*. list. No effort has been made to 



describe the birds themselves, as more 

 complete descriptions than the writer <;an 

 give will be found in such Standard works 

 as Coues Key, Ridgways Manual etc. The 

 A. 0. E. list numbers are placed at thekft, 

 and those of Ridgways Manual at r h«- 

 right I adopt the A. 0. D. classification, 

 because it is the latest and to my mind 

 the best. 



70. Common Tern 

 (Sterna, hirttndo. 686. ) 

 These beautiful birds are very com 

 mon breeding on the numerous islands in 

 this vicinity, but which do not belong to 

 this county. Here daring the breeding 

 season, they are so numerous that one 

 who had never seen an island upon which 

 "Sea Gulls'" (as the youthful collectors 

 call them) were in a habit of breeding, 

 would be astonished at the vast unrulier- 

 of these birds which are continually Hy- 

 ing over his head, uttering their plaintive 

 cries of (chee-cheein) in a peculiar grating 

 manner. The eggs are usually three in 

 number and are placed in a slight hollow 

 in the sand or on some rock. Sir. H. G. 

 White has a, set of five in his collection, 

 which is a very rare occurence. The eggs 

 are very interesting, presenting verygreat 

 variety in size, shape, color and mark- 

 I ings. I do not think that I have ever 

 seen two Terns eggs that resemble each 

 other in all of these respects. Measure 

 1.40x1.60. 



72. Roseate Tern. 



{Sterna dougalli.) tSS. 

 Habits nearly the same as the last, 

 with the exception of the nest which is 

 lined with grass. The eggs are two in 

 number, and differ from those of /. •'• 

 by being more rounded at the small 

 end, and having finer markings. The 

 cry resembles agutteral [tip- tip-tip,) these 

 Terns breed abundantly on the extremity 

 of Cape Cod. I '. C. Puhdum. 



(To be Continued.; 



