Vol. XXIV. 
1925 
ILOGAN, Birds of IV illis Island 
267 
on the ground among their young, and some hovering over them, 
helped to swell their numbers, and while on the wing they kept 
up an incessant screeching. Before they were able to fly, the 
young birds sought shelter from the hot sun under bushes, tufts 
of grass, etc., and they used to pack closely together against the 
walls of our living quarters to take advantage of the shade 
afforded by the canvas awnings. During December, as in the 
previous year, their numbers fell away rapidly. Unlike their 
habits in that season, the Sooty Terns did not at first hover 
overhead in a long line at night. It was not until December 
30th that I noticed a few birds attempting this, but their efforts 
were short lived. 
All the young had disappeared by the end of the year, and 
thence Sooty Terns became gradually more scarce by day and 
more numerous by night. During February it was a rare thing 
to see even one by day, while their number by night was never 
very great until the middle of March, when they suddenly 
became very numerous. A few days later a group was observed 
on the beach for the first time in 1924, and on March 20th they 
moved their position to the grassed areas, a sign that their 
nesting season was approaching. The first egg was found on 
April 8th, and from that day until we left on May 7th they 
continued to lay in great numbers, and we found their eggs very 
good eating. The groups of birds when nesting were continu¬ 
ally moving their positions, but they finally established them¬ 
selves in extensive rookeries, which, at the time of our departure, 
covered large portions of the grassed areas. 
(2) NODDY TERN (Anous stolidus). 
The Noddy Terns were fairly numerous during both seasons; 
their numbers changed from time to time, but unlike the Sooty 
Terns they never entirely abandoned the island. On our arrival 
in October, 1922, we found the nesting season well advanced, 
and nests were found scattered over the whole of the grassed 
areas. The Noddies made it a practice of grouping on the beach 
just above the water's edge, and sometimes the whole beach was 
fringed with a line of these birds. At night the groups were 
larger and sometimes intermingled with Sooty Terns and Brown 
Gannets. Early in February, 1923, the Noddy Terns com¬ 
menced nest building, and in this they were very industrious. 
Nesting went on right into April, but some were finished by the 
middle of February, while a month later the number of birds 
nesting was large, and distributed all over the grassed areas. I 
saw a few nests made in the bare sand, but a few feet only from 
the edge of the grassed portion of the island. The first egg was 
seen on February 17th, and the first young bird on March 25th. 
On our arrival for the next season in November, 1923, I was 
surprised to see so few Noddy Terns, while only one or two 
young birds were there, and they were well advanced. It was 
not until towards the close of January, 1924, that their numbers 
started to increase, and nesting operations commenced early in 
