. Atoll research bulletin. Coral reefs and islands; Marine biology; Marine sciences. 57 although I did know who had taken the eggs. At the time, I thought taking eggs from nest boxes was really not sporting. Nonetheless, I was guilty of removing all the Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) eggs from their nests in the park at the head of Lake Cayuga, later learning that this colony was part of a doctoral study by Robert W. Ficken. I also collected a clutch of Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) eggs from a floating nest at Spencer Marsh to which I had to swim and return with the eggs in my mouth. I l
. Atoll research bulletin. Coral reefs and islands; Marine biology; Marine sciences. 57 although I did know who had taken the eggs. At the time, I thought taking eggs from nest boxes was really not sporting. Nonetheless, I was guilty of removing all the Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) eggs from their nests in the park at the head of Lake Cayuga, later learning that this colony was part of a doctoral study by Robert W. Ficken. I also collected a clutch of Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) eggs from a floating nest at Spencer Marsh to which I had to swim and return with the eggs in my mouth. I later learned that this was apparently the first known nesting there in some years. Thus, one can see the basis for the suspicion with which I was greeted by the less collecting-oriented ornithologists and students. On the last of our trips from Cornell to Mexico (and British Honduras) our goals were to collect egg-white protein for Sibley's studies. To this end the three of us, myself, John S. Weske, and Martin Michener, proceeded southward in the spring of 1961. The others' knack for finding nests and eggs was not great, unfortunately, but we had a few successes, including one stop in the lowlands at Isla, Veracruz (Fig. 2), where the fence posts were composed largely of small living trees that had begun regrowth at the top, providing an almost perfect nesting place for nesting birds (Fig 3). Almost one of every five posts had a small flycatcher's nest, mostly Vermillion Flycatchers (Pyrocephalus rubinus), Tropical Kingbirds {Tyrannus melancholicus) and Social Flycatchers {Myiozetetes similis), but also an occasional nest of the Fork-tailed Flycatcher {Tyrannus savana), Derby Flycatcher (Pitangus sulphuratus) and Dusky- capped Flyatcher {Myiarchus tuberculifer). Here, Martin distinguished himself by finding a clutch of Double- striped Thick-knee (Burhinus bistriatus). Our take for the day was about 60 eggs (Fig. 4), less impressive than one might think because it was relativel
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