76 



THE CAYENNE TERN. 



'-f Sterna cayana, Lath. 



PLATE CCCCXXIX.— Male. 



On reaching the entrance of the little port of St. Augustine in East 

 Florida, 1 observed more Cayenne Terns together than I had ever before 

 seen. I had afterwards good opportunities of watching them both during 

 that season and the following, about the Keys. Their shyness surprised me 

 not a little, especially as they are very seldom molested, and it was such 

 that I could study their habits only with the aid of a good glass. I found 

 them at first in great flocks, composed of several hundred individuals, along 

 with Razor-billed Shearwaters, which also congregated there in great num- 

 bers. During low water, both species resorted to a large flat sand-bar in the 

 middle of the channel, where they reposed until the return of the tide, 

 sitting close together, in an easy posture, with their heads facing the breeze. 

 They kept separate, however, placing themselves in parallel lines twenty or 

 thirty paces asunder, and either lay flat on the sand, or stood up and plumed 

 themselves. My attempts to procure some of them were always futile, for 

 they flew off when I was yet several hundred yards distant, and moved 

 directly towards the sea. It was pleasing to see the whole of these birds 

 take to wing at the same moment, the jetty hue of the Shearwaters contrast- 

 ing with the pale blue of the Terns, and the brilliantly-coloured bills of both 

 species, their different modes of flight, and their various evolutions present- 

 ing a most agreeable sight. The Terns on these occasions constantly emitted 

 their harsh loud cries, while the Shearwaters moved in perfect silence. After 

 spending several days in unsuccessful endeavours to approach them, I em- 

 ployed several boats, which advanced towards the sands at several points, 

 and we shot as many as we wished, for as the flocks passed over any of the 

 boats, several individuals were brought down at once, on which the rest 

 would assail the gunners, as if determined to rescue their brethren, and thus 

 afford subjects for them on which to exercise their skill. We found it 

 necessary to use large shot, the Cayenne Tern being a strong and tough bird, 

 the largest of the genus met with on our Atlantic coasts. When wounded, 

 however slightly, they disgorged in the manner of Vultures; and when 

 brought to the water disabled, they at once endeavoured to make off from 



