STERNA. 403 
In general habits S. forsteri resembles the Common Tern, S. fluviatilis, with which 
it consorts during the breeding-season. Its food consists mostly of small fish. 
The nest is built amongst reeds and tussocks, and is often a bulky structure. The 
eggs are two or three in number, of a pale greyish-green or pale buff, thickly and evenly 
marked with spots and blotches of dark blackish-brown and underlying pale purple ''. 
“2. Sterna fluviatilis. 
Sterna fluviatilis, Naum. Isis, 1819, pp. 1847, 1848 °; Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxv. p. 54°; 
Oates, Cat. Eggs Brit. Mus. i. p. 182°. 
Sterna sp., Coues, Ibis, 1864, p. 389 *. 
Sterna hirundo (nec Linn.), Baird, Brewer, & Ridgway, Water-Birds N. Amer. ii. p. 295°; A. O. 
U. Check-l. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 24°. . 
Ptil. estiv. Supra margaritaceo-cinerea; collo postico et laterali, uropygio imo et supracaudalibus pure 
albis ; rectricibus quoque albis, vix cinereo extus lavatis, duabus extimis magis distincte extus cinereis ; 
alis dorso concoloribus, remigibus albis, secundariis albo terminatis ; primariis albis, extus et intus juxta 
rhachidem albam cineraceis, et apicem versus intus quoque nigricantibus vel cinerascenti-nigris, pogonio 
interno minime ad apicem albo marginato; pileo nuchaque haud cristata nigerrimis; loris et facie 
laterali cum corpore subtus toto, subalaribus et axillaribus et margine alari albis pectore vix margari- 
taceo-cinereo adumbrato: rostro corallino, ad apicem corneo-brunneo ; pedibus corallinis ; iride saturate 
brunnea. Long. tota circa 14:0, ale 10-4, caude 2°5, rectrice extima 5:2, culm. 1:4, tarsi 0°8. (Deser. 
maris adulti ex Tarpon Springs, Florida. Mus. nostr.) 
2 mari similis. Long. tota circa 12°5, ale 10-7. (Deser. feminse adulte hiem. ex Tarpon Springs. Mus. 
nostr.) 
Piil. hiem. similis ptilosi zstivee, sed fronte et pileo albo striolatis. 
Av. hornot. similis ptilosi hiemali adults; fronte et loris albis ; pileo reliquo albo, nigro striato ; nucha cum 
pilei postici lateribus et regione anteoculari nigris ; tectricibus alarum minimis nigricantibus. (Descr. 
av. hornot. ex San José de Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 
Juv. similis precedenti, sed plumis fascia cinerascenti-brunnea subterminali ornatis vel marmoratis. 
Hab. Norva America, chiefly east of the Plains, breeding from the Arctic coast, 
somewhat irregularly, to Florida, Texas, and Arizona, and scarcely known on the 
Pacific side2¢—Guaremata, San José (0. 8.24).—Sourn AMERICA, eastern coast 
to Bahia2; West Inpiss2—Evrore anp TEMPERATE Asta, breeding ; INDIA, 
CEYLON, AND SoutH AFRICA in winter ?. 
This is the well-known “ Common Tern” of Europe, and has an extensive distribution 
both in the Old and New Worlds. It differs from S. forstert in having the long outer 
rectrices white, with a darker grey outer web than on the rest of the tail-feathers. The 
inner webs of the primaries are not white to their extreme ends, and the bill and feet 
are both red. 
A single example of this Tern was obtained by Salvin at San José in Guatemala on 
the 8th of December, 1862. Its identification puzzled Dr. Elliott Coues, when the 
specimen was submitted to him in 1864, but Mr. Howard Saunders has since determined 
that it is a young individual of S. fluviatilis. 
The species breeds both on the sea-shore and inland in North America, migrating 
51* 
