EXTRACTIONS FROM THE UNPUBLISHED SPECIES ACCOUNTS OF A. WETMORE 
STERNA FJSCATA 
covered with the birds ranged just out of reach of one another. Distance between 
nest sites is determined by reaching distance and the males spar sharply when two 
alight too near. The majority of nests now contained fresh eggs though in the ■ 
higher slopes I found a few young in their curious just plumage that in some 
cases were awing. In early morning clouds of these and other terns came rushing 
down the slopes toward Adams Bay with great uproar and circled out in the air 
✓ 
r 
for a feN minutes as they do in the mating season. 
Necker Island , June 17-19, 192$ . Abundant. Eggs to grown young noted. They have 
the same trick of rushing down the slopes in early morning in a screaming mass 
noted on Nihoa. 
June 20 , 192$ . About 15,000 pairs. Many are laying and others have young. 
King Island , French Frigate Shoals , June 22-2$, 192$ . A few pass occasionally. 
Trig Island , French Frigate Shoals , June 26 , 192$ . 2000 pairs. The birds here 
had eggs in most cases a good share of which were fresh. I collected a series and 
as before marvelled at their great diversity in form and color. As no two were 
alike it might be supposed that difference in marking served to mark the nests 
of individuals with two females with adjacent nests one having a very white 
type egg and the other as markedly rufescent. The two returned to their 
respective nest sites and covered the strange eggs without the slightest 
hesitation. The same result was obtained when I exchanged a nearly plain egg 
for one heavily spotted, one with elongate form for one nearly round, and one with 
bold dark markings for one very finely spotted. In all of these instances the 
females returned to their proper sites and adopted the strange egg. Finally I 
placed two eggs in one nest. The female returned and after considerable effort 
succeeded in covering bothI Apparently site memory and not egg color serve to 
enable the owner to recognize its own home. I regretted that time did not permit 
detailed observation to determine if there was any later reaction. When 
