. Bird-lore . antly disturbed anddriven from their nests. Such disturbance increasing will in time drive themfrom any locality. The old notion that Terns leave their eggs to be hatchedby the heat of the sun is an error. The eggs must be constantly incubated andthe newly hatched young must be brooded to preserve their lives. If exposed 348 Bird - Lore long to the suns heat, they die. Along the New England coast, in summer,there are many southerly or southwesterly gales, when the dry sand of thebeaches blows over the breeding-grounds. If the Terns are driven from theirnests at such a time, espec
. Bird-lore . antly disturbed anddriven from their nests. Such disturbance increasing will in time drive themfrom any locality. The old notion that Terns leave their eggs to be hatchedby the heat of the sun is an error. The eggs must be constantly incubated andthe newly hatched young must be brooded to preserve their lives. If exposed 348 Bird - Lore long to the suns heat, they die. Along the New England coast, in summer,there are many southerly or southwesterly gales, when the dry sand of thebeaches blows over the breeding-grounds. If the Terns are driven from theirnests at such a time, especially when the young are hatching, the sand is blownon the little chicks while their feathers are still wet, it adheres to them, andthey are soon buried. Eggs also are thus buried. Someone should be at handto see that the birds are never disturbed on such days. Foreigners, fishermen, and eggers take every opportunity to raid coloniesof nesting birds, taking the eggs or the young, which they use for food or for. HALF GROWN YOUNG OF ROSEATE TERNPhotographed by Edward Howe Forbush bait. Every part of the mainland upon which the birds can breed is continuallyoverrun by cats, dogs, skunks, and other natural enemies of the birds. Assoon as a colony is established, these enemies concentrate upon it. Manypeople who summer in New England leave cats along the shore which run wild,and numberless skunks seem to thrive on the beaches. There are a few smallTern colonies on the coasts of Rhode Island and Connecticut, and all that hasbeen said about better protection in Massachusetts would apply also to thesecolonies. Penikese Island is now the property of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,but since the leper colony has been removed from the island, the state authori-ties have had offers from intending purchasers. This island, the property ofthe Commonwealth, should be preserved for all time as a breeding-place forbirds. It is one of the best strongholds of the Roseate Terns, and thousands Rep
Size: 1891px × 1321px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirdsperiodicals
