371 
on the Birds of St. Croix . 
not, I do not know. The flight of a Phaeton does not resemble 
that of any sea-bird I am acquainted with ; its chief peculiarity 
consists in the regular and rather rapid strokes of the wing, 
without, as far as I could see, any intermission.”—-A. N. 
“I saw the first Tropic Bird on my outward voyage in 1858, 
February 27th, our position at noon on that day being lat. 
29° 22' N., long. 42° 42' W.”—E. N. 
t 59. m Black Skimmer. Rhynchops niara. L.; Wils. pi. 
60. fig. 4; Aud. pi. 433. 
“On June 14th, 1858, between St. Thomas and St. Croix, a 
bird, I believe of this species, passed close to the vessel I was 
in; I could see its black back and white belly distinctly.”— 
E. N. 
t 60. [?] Sooty Tern. Onychoprion fuliginosus (Gmel.). 
Stei'na fuliginosa, Gmel .) Wils. pi. 72. fig. 7; Aud. pi. 432; 
Yarr. B. B. 3rd edit. iii. p. 543, fig. 
“Towards the end of May, 1857,1 saw about midway between 
St. Thomas and St. Croix several birds which appeared to me 
to be of this species.”—A. N. 
Mr. Osbert Salvin informs us that on the 29th of May last 
(1859), when passing along the south side of Tortola and St. 
JohiFs, he saw a good many of these birds. They came close to 
the ship, and he could make them out quite well. At the same 
time he also saw some Noddies ( Anous stolidns, Leach), which 
species probably occurs about St. Croix as well 
f 61. Eoyal Tern. Thalasseus regius , Gambel. Sterna 
cayana, Aud. pi. 429. 
In 1854 we received from St. Croix a specimen apparently 
of the species above cited, which had been killed in the island ; 
and round its shores we have not unfrequently seen Terns 
flying, which, from their size, we should judge to be the same 
as that example. 
t 62. Laughing Gull. Chrcecocephalus atricilla (L.). Larus 
ridibundus, Wils. pi. 74. fig. 4. L. atricilla , Aud. pi. 443; 
Mont. Orn. Diet.; Yarr. B. B. iii. p. 439. 
We have often seen a small Gull with a dark hood about St. 
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