Sterna caspia (?) Habits of
the plover (S. Helvetica [Squatarola helvetica])
Nantucket.
1875.
Sept. 24 [September 24, 1875] of them and I shot down two
one of which afterwards escaped. The
remaining three we followed for
a long time in vain: they were
shy as hawks but Fisher finally
killed another at long range.
Their note is the long drawn whistle
of three intonations so well known
to the gunners. Their [delete]ordinary[/delete] usual
position is that ordinary one
so characteristic of all the plover
but they run rather differently
and much faster than smaller
species. While here a little company
of large terns came along and
fished for some time within
a hundred yards of me: they
were either S. Caspia [Sterna caspia] or S. regia [Sterna regia]
I am inclined to think the
former. They lit several times
and swam on deep water. Their 
flight and plunging was precisely
similar to that of the smaller
species. The only note that I
heard was a raucous hank somewhat
like the angry one of Sterna paradise [Sterna paradisea]
but much louder, hoarser, & stronger.
Saw also numbers of Larus agentatu [Larus argentatus],
one L. Delawarensis [Larus delawarensis] and S. hirundo [Sterna hirundo]
Of the latter I shot 4 im. [immature] specimens
two of which were well got.
Had a good shot at a black 
duck in the morning as he sprang
out of a pond hole but missed both 
barrels. Reached the house at 8 P.M.