Breeding habits of the terns
Green is Me. [Green Island, Maine]
1875
July 20 [July 20, 1875] through the soil. On this and a neigh-
boring smaller island ("Junk of Pork") were
breeding about 20 pairs of Chroic. atricilla [Chroecocephalus atricilla],
6 [pairs] of Sterna hirundo, 15 [pairs] S. macroura [Sterna macroura],
and perhaps 10 pairs of S. paradisea [Sterna paradisaea].
In addition to these were a colony of
Cotyle riparia (did not see any sandbank), 
numbers of Tringoides macularius, and
very abundantly Passerculus savanna.
The terns were very shy, the gulls much
less so. I shot 5 of the latter shortly
after landing, losing one however which
fell in the water. Finding that none
of the terns would come within range
I concealed myself in the long grass
and in an hour [delete]killed[/delete] took 6 S. macroura [Sterna macroura],
and 3 S. Hirundo [Sterna hirundo]. The differences between
the notes of S. Hirundo [Sterna hirundo] & macroura [Sterna macroura] are
very slight and although I confirmed several
decisions by shooting the bird, still I
am not sure that I could pronounce
safely in all cases. S. macroura [Sterna macroura] seems
to possess all the notes of S. hirundo [Sterna hirundo] 
but they are all rather harsher & more
raucous, especially the scolding one.
I could not detect the slightest difference
in flight or actions. The S. paradisea [Sterna paradisaea]
were the shyest of all but I am sure
of my identification as the cloth ripping
note is not to be mistaken. They
seemed to keep by themselves and I
several times saw what was probably
the whole colony, some 15 or 20 birds,
flying along together in a close body.
None of these birds would "hover" over