EXPEDITION TO LAYSAN ISLAND IN i91i. 15 



square yard of ground. About 1 nest in 50 contained two eggs, one 

 egg being the usual complement. 



Sterna lunata Peale. Gray-backed Tern. 



On the rocks at the south end of the island is a small colony of 

 gray-backed terns. Its close proximity to the sooty tern rookery 

 might mislead the casual observer as to the number of birds of this 

 species. As soon as the birds are disturbed the sooty terns fly 

 about with the graybacks, giving the impression that there are 

 thousands of the latter. The unfortunate grayback makes a desirable 

 skin for millinery purposes; hence his demise. 



There are other small rookeries on the east side, and we estimated 

 that about 50,000 of these birds were nesting on the island. We 

 found fresh eggs and young birds in all stages of development. 



Anous stolidus (Linn.). Noddy. 



Noddies were nesting in small colonies on nearly all parts of the 

 island. The northwest point seemed to be a favorite nesting place, 

 and durhig the last week of May fresh eggs were found. The noddy 

 is fairly abundant, numbering about 5,500. 



Micranous hawaiiensis Rothschild. Hawaiian Tern. (PL III.) 



This little understudy of the noddy was found in all stages, from 

 a freshly laid egg to a fully fledged bird. It was not so abundant as 

 the noddy, numbering about 3,000. 



Gygis alba kittlitzi Hartert. White Tern or Love Bird. 



During the first week of our stay in Laysan we saw but four white 

 terns (PI. IV, fig. 1) . This little bird, never abundant on the island, 

 was one of the first to disappear at the hands of the poachers. 



About the time the sooty terns arrived in abundance we noticed 

 a number of white terns. On the 15th of May we discovered several 

 pairs nesting on the rocks at the south end and later found others on 

 different parts of the island. At one time we were able to count 

 30 of these birds. 



We collected six specimens, all of which, although nesting, were 

 more or less pin-feathery and unfit for mounting. We estimated 

 the number of this species to be 75. 



DIOMEDIID^. 

 Diomedea immutabilis Rothschild. Laysan Albatross. (PL V.) 



Along the shores of the lagoon and on a small area at the south 

 end of the island this most remarkable and interesting bird has 

 taken its last stand. To-day there is about one-sixth of the original 

 colony left. All along the car track and on the main rookery where 

 the birds were formerly so abundant, only piles of bones remain. The 



