124 Bird- Lore
available. the birds utilize them as a bed for the eggs, otherwise they lay them on the bare rock. The nests are often only a foot apart, the eggs inconspicuous. and it required the greatest care to avoid treading on them. The eggs were in sittings of two or three, rarely, four. buff or ashy with spots of lilac and brown, At the time of our visit. July twenty~fiith, most of the eggs were hatched and we found great numbers of young birds. vary- ing from newly hatched chicks to full-grown birds that ran quickly away and disappeared, The little birds either snuggled out of sight among the stones or ran to cover.
Many young birds lay dead on the stones among the nests. victims, per- haps. of family feuds or lost to their parents and dead of starvation. They could not have fallen from the nest. as land-birds do, not could they have been trodden on by heavy»footed animals, the presence of which Mr. Chapman suggests may explain the great number of dead young among the Terns which he visited on Penikese Island.
One of the women, covered over with gray cambric. crouched down among the boulders: the other. similarly draped, hid among some scrubby willows which grew along one shore. The photographer retired to the far end of the island and the other men towed away. promising to return for us in the afternoon.
Before long the birds began to return. first the young and then the adults. most of the latter with fishes in their bills. minnows about three inches long being the usual catch. It took a long time for them to settle. nor did they do so confidently during our whole stay of four hours. The island was soon covered with birds, but the flock above seemed as large and as noisy as ever, They would drop down, hover over their nests, per- haps touch the stones. and then rise again screaming and resume their whirling. distracted flight. Again and again this happened before the birds gained courage to alight, As the flock sank lower and more of the birds settled on the ground, I distinguished two calls.—one harsh. shrill. com- plaining. the other low, clucking. Many of the birds carrying fish uttered this call, and on alighting ran about as though looking for their hungry familiest Within each of those hundreds of mother-birds. to the spectator as like each other as so many leaves or pebbles. raged the conflict between terror and mother>lovet In many cases love triumphed and brought the trembling birds to the very feet of the invaders.
Near my station under the willows lay a large log. under which I knew that at least three little Terns were hiding. Presently one of the birds flew down. hovered for a moment with upward slanting wings and dangling legs. and then dropped to the ground. It carried a fish and advanced toward the log. calling softly. She was within about twelve feet. and I could clearly see the delicate tinting of her wings. and her full bright eyes. One of the little birds ran toward her with gaping bill. She turned and
