BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 
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■Sterna caspia Pallas. Caspian tern. 
Howe and Allen, 1901, p. 25. 
Nantucket, taken several times in September. — 
H. & A. Woods Hole, rare. — Edwards. A 
female specimen in Mr. Edwards’s collection 
dated September 20, 1891. 
■Sterna maxima Boddaert. Royal tern. 
Howe and Allen, 1901, p. 27; G. M. Allen, 1909, 
p. 17. 
Nantucket, a pair taken July, 1874. — H. & A. 
Chatham, July 29, 1889. — Allen. Seen by 
Mr. Edwards at Muskeget several different 
summers. 
Sterna sandvicensis acuflavida (Cabot). Cabot’s 
tern. 
G. M. Allen, 1909, p. 17. 
Chatham, August, 1865; Monomoy Island, Octo- 
ber 2, 1888; an “accidental visitor.” 
Sterna hirundo Linnaeus. Common tern. 
Howe and Allen, 1901, p. 26; Jones, 1906, p. 35; 
G. M. Allen, 1910, p. 19. 
This tern is extremely abundant throughout the 
region from May 1 or earlier to the middle of 
September. Mr. Edwards states that young 
birds sometimes linger till January 1. Two 
winter records (January 17 and February 20) 
cited by Allen. The local nesting grounds 
are situated at Penikese, Weepecket Islands, 
the Muskeget group, Katama Bay (on ocean 
side) and probably at No Mans Land. — Jones. 
From a consideration of these, Dr. Jones 
estimated the number of common terns present 
locally in 1904 as being somewhere in the neigh- 
borhood of 100,000. The average number of 
eggs in one nest is three (two to six). These 
are laid in the sand or among driftweed, but no 
regular nests are constructed. The young are 
fed principally upon the sand launce ( Ammo - 
dytes americanus), of which they may eat as 
many as 10 in one day. This fish likewise 
appears to form the principal article of diet 
for the adult. _ (See account by Jones, 1906.) 
Sterna paradisea Brtinnich. Arctic tern. 
Howe and Allen, 1901, p. 26. 
Nantucket, not very common. — H. & A. Woods 
Hole, occasional. — Edwards. Weepeckets, 
August 4, 1903. — Jones. 
Sterna dougalli Montagu. Roseate tern. 
Howe and Allen, 1901, p. 27; Jones, 1906, p. 43. 
Abundant throughout the region from May to 
September. In 1904, Dr. Jones estimated the 
number present in this region as approximately 
40,000. He found nesting places at Penikese, 
Sterna dougalli — Continued. 
Weepecket and Muskeget Islands. The aver- 
age number of eggs found in a nest was two 
(rarely three), and these were nearly always 
laid among vegetation. As in the case of 5 . 
hirundo, the young are fed upon Ammodytes. 
Sterna antillarum (Lesson). Least tern. 
Howe and Allen, 1901, p. 28. 
Nantucket, fairly common. — H. & A. Katama 
Bay is the nesting place of a small colony. — 
Jones. Reported as nesting likewise at Peni- 
kese and Muskeget, but Dr. Jones found no 
evidence of this. A female specimen in Mr. 
Edwards’s collection dated September 14, 
1893; a male, July 20, 1894. Formerly much 
more common than at present. — Edwards. 
Sterna fuscata Linnaeus. Sooty tern. 
G. M. Allen, 1909, p. 20. 
Chatham, September, 1877; Newport, 1877. 
“Accidental visitor.” 
Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis (Gmelin). Black 
tern. 
Howe and Allen, 1901, p. 25. 
Nantucket, “not very abundant, August usu- 
ally.” — H. &. A. Woods Hole, fairly common 
in fall as a migrant.— Edwards. 
Rhynchops nigra Linnaeus. Black skimmer. 
Howe and Allen, 1901, p. 28; G. M. Allen, 1909, 
p. 22. 
Falmouth and Woods Hole: 2 records.— H. & A. 
Weepecket Islands, July 16, 1903.- — Jones. 
“Said to have bred about 1830 at Muskeget 
Island.” — Allen. Formerly common at Nan- 
tucket; likewise seen in Vineyard Sound; 
none seen lately. — Edwards. 
Family ProcEELARiidze. 
Puffinus borealis Cory. Cory’s shearwater. 
Howe and Allen, 1901, p. 22. 
Nantucket, fairly common some years; Buzzards 
Bay, abundant during the fall of 1886. — H. & A. 
Vicinity of Woods Hole. — V. N. Edwards, 
L. Jones, I. A. Field. Summer and fall; 
“generally seen on the ocean or near it in the 
Sound.” — Jones. Male specimens in Mr. Ed- 
wards’s collection dated August 20, 1885, and 
August 29, 1888. 
Puffinus gravis (O’Reilly). Greater shearwater. 
Male specimens in Mr. Edwards’s collection 
dated September 2, 1888, and October 13, 
1894. 
