7 
Johnston . D. 
19^4 
15 Apr of sticks. lob tnaturht it alrht be the “awsllsn ^oddv. This sveeies is 
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smaller than the Common ^ oddy and ha ‘ a shorter, light gray tail. In the 
large ternary on the point we were especially looking for Gray - backed Terns . 
In all, we no r ed about 1 50 f always on the periphery of the ternary, though 
we never sew any physical conflicts between the two species. We were 
especially looking for nests of the grey-backs and succeeded in finding 
at least 2 • They w c re located -ut under the trees in a tangle of low 
branches on the ground. We found t Hem by watching carefully for a 
gray-back working its way out of the tangle. 1 ach nest contained a 
single egg which, in comparison with Sooty Fggs , appeared to be smaller, 
leoo pointed (more ovate) and perhaps with a si 1 ^htly more tan background 
color. In contrast to most sooti^s, these incubating gray- backs did not 
sit tightly but rather flushed when we were 50* ewa^. Why aren f t more 
grey-backs nesting?-- *ma.ny were just standing around out on the point and 
very occasionally courting. Then, why were there some nearly fledged 
chicks seen yesterday? Evidently this species is like the sooty n th^t 
different individuals— at least in the Pliroer Po nt colony — ere In far- 
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removed different reproductive stages* 
