Sterna antillarunv 
Martha* s Vineyard.’ 
Aug .' I, 1890 . 
Calls . Quit -ik, quit -ik. Aik - aik . 
Song? Ket-ket- ket -ket, ca-ketty, ca- kotty , ca- kotty ,( or 1th- 
kitty .) 
The nest with 2 eggs was a hollow scraped in dry white sand no 
pebbles or shells near, no tracks. The bird invariably hovered 
over the nest a moment just as over a fish then dropped directly 
on the eggs, closing its wings at the last moment. For several 
minutes it sat high with its neck stretchdd up to its full length 
the head turning continually from side to side; then gradually it 
relaxed this extreme v/atchfulness and cuddled close down to the 
sand with the neck shortened. The bird always detected my 
slightest movement (100 yds. : off ) however, and at once flow 
coming straight tovrards me. Occasionally her mate came and took 
her place, hence both sexes sit . 
Saw a pair with one egg in a shallow hollov/' v/ith shells on the 
edge and near it but chiefly white sand. A young bird not bigger 
than a Kinglet was toddling about on the sand several rods 
from the nest. ; One parent divided her time between the egg and 
chick sitting on both. Her mate brought fish about I in. long 
and tearing them into long slender shreds fed the young bird. 
He always walked up to it against the wind with wings spread and 
raised holding them thus during the operation of feeding .“ 
