558 BIRDS——LARIDA. 
alighted, or strung out in the wake of his flight like the tail of a comet. The Owl com- 
monly paid little attenticn to this unbidden following, and apparently never tried to 
sieze his persecutors while on the wing, but on several occasions we saw a sitting bird 
pounced upon and borne off. Sometimes in the middle of the night a great outcry 
among the Terns told where a tragedy was being enacted. 
‘‘T found the Terns sadly diminished in numbers when I last visited Muskegat, in July, 
1874. Their persecutors were ravishing their stronghold more relentlessly than ever, and 
nearly every day fishermen came from far and near to collect their eggs. So cleanly 
had they swept the island that we could find scarcely a nest with eggs, and at that 
comparatively late date not a single young bird was to be seen. In fact, the poor Terns 
were kepi laying like hens through ihe whole summer. We were told by the fishermen 
that quite as many eggs were obtained by ther in August asin June; itis doubtful if 
ono pair in a hundred succeeded in raising offspring that year. Under such conditions 
the result is inevitable. If prompt legisiation be not brought to bear on the matter, the 
time is near at hand when the waters of Vineyard Sound will no longer be enlivened 
by these innocent birds. The inconsiderable destruction of small fishes, a reason that 
has been given for withholding protection, is of little moment, and those barren sandy 
shores can ill afferd to !ogs the presence of the graceful Sea-swallow. 
‘“¢ Of the eggs of the three species of Terns which breed upon Muskegat, little need be 
said save that they vary to analmost endless degree, and cannot specifically be distin- 
guished. Tho Wilson’s and Roseate Terns usually build nests, some of whick are quite 
bulky, with a lining of dry grasses, upon a foundation of coarse twigs or sea-weed. In 
many cases, however, the eggs were simply laid in a slight depression in the sand. We 
fancied that the Roseate Terns built more substantial domiciles than the other species, 
but the difficulty of satisfactorily identifying any considerable number of nests rendered 
@ positive conclusion hopeless. The Aretic Terns, as before stated, bred apart from the 
others, aud laid their eggs upon the bare sand. 
‘s'The notes of the Wilson’s and Arctic Terns vary, if at all, only slightly in modulation. 
The ordinary cry of anger or protest is a harsh vibrating te-ar-r-r, that of contentment 
or recognition a soft chick. They utter various other sounds, all more or less discordant. 
The usual note of the Roseate Tern is a soft mellow hew-tt, repeated at frequent inter- 
vals. Ii has, in addition, when excited or angry, a cry which can be closely imitated 
by forcibly tearing a strong piece of cotton cloth. 
‘‘ One who has never held in his hand a freshly killed Tern can scarcely imagine its 
wonderful beauty. The delicate faultless outlines; the long, slender, graceful wings; 
the pearly blue-gray back ; the soft tinting beneath, set off by the bright coral red of the 
feet and bill, all go to rmaale up a whole that must satisfy the most wsthotic eye. The 
delicate biush that suffases the breast of the Roseate Tern can only be seen in its perfec- 
tion for a brief period after death, for either it fades altogether, or turns to a dull salmon 
tint before the bird becomes cold. Like an ethereal grace, it shrinks and perishes 
before the gaze of vulgar eyes. 
‘‘ When the cares of incubation are cver,—and sad, unprofitable cares they must be in 
most cases for these peor birds,—the Terns resort again to the sand-bars nearest their 
chosen fishing-grounds. The waters about Nantucket are a favorite haunt, and through 
the month of September they swarm about every bay and cove that indents the shore. 
Their movements, however, depend largely upon those of the bine-fish. Those veracious 
creatures prey upon the smaller fishes, and, hunting always iu schools, by their com- 
bined action drive the feeble fry to the surface, when they are seized by the Terns. The 
fishe:men rely almost wholly upon the actions of the latter to discover the presence of 
