
642 NOTES ON SOME OF THE 
of about half a mile. Only thinly clothed with beach grass, 
it is naturally well suited to the breeding habits of the sev- 
eral species of Terns that regularly resort to it to breed. 
Though uninhabited by man and quite distant from large 
towns, the birds are far from secure there. Besides the daily 
visits of small egging parties during the proper season from 
Nantucket and other near points, excursions are made by 
large parties from distant places to the island for the express 
purpose of participating in the novelty of an egg hunt, with 
sad results to the birds, as above stated. This is certainly a 
matter that the “Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to 
Animals” should look after. 
ROTIO TERN. Sterna macroura Naum. In company 
with the preceding are found a certain proportion of these 
birds. Last year Mr. Maynard and myself found them 
breeding apart from the others on the island of Muskeget. 
We also found them at Ipswich, as Mr. Maynard has also 
done the present year. In voice and habits, however, the 
two seem not to differ in the slightest, nor in general size. 
In color they only differ as young birds often do from older 
ones of the same species, the S. macroura corresponding to 
the mature form and the jS. hirundo to the younger. The 
tarsi and the bill in S. macroura seemed to be generally the 
shorter, but not always. In color jS. macroura was always 
the brighter, without the black tip of the bill seen in S. 
hirundo; the black on the head is generally more intense 
and better defined ; the sooty wash beneath is much deeper, 
and the white of the rump purer. ‘The tarsus was not only 
shorter but had a roughened appearance not seen in the 
other, they differing in the latter respect much as young birds 
in this and allied families frequently do from those perfectly 
mature. On the whole there seemed to be good reasons for 
| believing them to be simply different ages of the same 
species. The young of S. macroura being then unknown, 
it was evident that the discover y of them would afford deci- 
a evidence on the point in question. Fortunately this 
