AUSTRALIAN SOOTY TERN. 
Me. Tom Iredale* says this species is most plentiful on the Kermadec 
Islands : “ On the 31st December, 1907, the majority were engaged in rearing 
young, though some were still sitting on eggs. As the first eggs had been 
obtained on the 2nd of November, this gives exactly two months during 
which fresh eggs were procurable. The beginning of February saw the earliest 
of the young birds on the wing. Of aU birds I have ever observed or read 
about, these dislike wet weather the most. Owing to this failing, the young 
birds often perish in great numbers. At the first drop of rain the whole 
colony rise and fly away to sea (this has also been recorded of Anous stolidus by 
Mr. Beddoes in Campbell’s Nests and Eggs Austr. Birds, p. 852), leaving 
either their eggs or young to the mercy of the weather. If the rain persists, 
they stay away until it is finished, and in the meanwhile the young ones 
unless well grown and strong, perish. I saw the effect of such weather early 
in February ; two wet days caused the death of many newly-hatched young, 
and the desertion of all the eggs at that time being sat upon. The old birds 
commenced to leave the island the middle of March, and by the end of the 
following month aU the young had also gone. A couple of birds were heard 
on the 2nd of May, and from the 8th to the 14th many were heard passing 
the island in the evening, and it was surmised that these might be birds which 
had bred on the southern islands of the group, passing north. From the 
14th of May till the 31st of July nothing was seen of these birds. On the 
latter date an odd bird was heard calling at night, and on succeeding nights 
they were heard in increasing numbers, but none were seen until the 20th 
of August, when a large flock was noted at dusk, away out over the bay. 
Every evening after this they were seen, and shortly afterwards settled at night 
on the beach, but flew away every morning just before sunrise, returning 
at evening. On the 18th of September they were for the first time noted 
flying over the bay all day, and by the end of that month they circled above 
their proposed nesting sites aU through the day. This continued throughout 
October, until on the last day they remained on the ground during the day. 
I expected they would lay in a day or two, but on the 2nd of November rain 
set in, and every bird departed, and for two days while the rain persisted, 
the bay was deserted. The third day a few birds returned, and then the 
bulk came back, but there never seemed to be the same numbers as before 
the wet weather. The first eggs were seen on the 9th of November \and 
became abundant in a few days.” 
Mr. Gibson, f writing from Houtman’s Abrolhos, West Australia, records : 
“ The principal colonies were on Pelsart Island and Rat Island. Hundreds of 
* Emu, Vol. X., p. 8, 1910. 
t Vol. VIII., p. 65, 1908. 
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