235 
THE CAYENNE TERN. 
Sterna cayana, Lath. 
PLATE CCCOXXIX.— Male. 
On reaching the entrance of the little port of St. Augustine in East 
Florida, I observed more Cayenne Terns together than I had ever before 
seen. I had afterwards good opportunities of watching them both during 
that season and the following, about the Keys. Their shyness surprised me 
not a little, especially as they are very seldom molested, and it was such 
that I could study their habits only with the aid of a good glass. I found 
them at first in great flocks, composed of several hundred individuals, along 
with Razor-billed Shearwaters, which also congregated there in great num- 
bers. During low water, both species resorted to a large flat sand-bar in 
the middle of the channel, where they reposed until the return of the tide, 
sitting close together, in an easy posture, with their heads facing the breeze. 
They kept separate, however, placing themselves in parallel lines twenty or 
thirty paces asunder, and either lay flat on the sand, or stood up and plumed 
themselves. My attempts to procure some of them were always futile, for 
they flew off when I was yet several hundred yards distant, and moved 
directly towards the sea. It was pleasing to see the whole of these birds 
take to wing at the same moment, the jetty hue of the Shearwaters contrast- 
ing with the pale blue of the Terns, and the brilliantly-coloured bills of both 
species, their different modes of flight, and their various evolutions present- 
ing a most agreeable sight. The Terns on these occasions constantly emitted 
their harsh loud cries, while the Shearwaters moved in perfect silence. After 
spending several days in unsuccessful endeavours to approach them, I em- 
ployed several boats, which advanced towards the sands at several points, 
and we shot as many as we wished, for as the flocks passed over any of the 
boats, several individuals were brought down at once, on which the rest 
would assail the gunners, as if determined to rescue their brethren, and thus 
afford subjects for them on which to exercise their skill. We found it 
necessary to use large shot, the Cayenne Tern being a strong and tough bird, 
the largest of the genus met with on our Atlantic coasts. When wounded, 
however slightly, they disgorged in the manner of Vultures; and when 
brought to the water disabled, they at once endeavoured to make off from 
