218 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



Lextris hardy i BONAP. Tabl. de Longip. Compt. Bend. 1856,770; Consp. ii. 1857, 210. 

 Lestris brissoni "BoiE," DEGL. & GEEBE. Orn. Eur. ii, 1867,400. 



HAB. Northern parts of northern hemisphere, breeding in the Arctic districts, and mi- 

 grating south in winter to the more northern United States, occasionally as far as the Gulf 

 of Mexico. 



SP. CHAE. Adult. Entire pileum and upper part of nape, together with lores, malar 

 region, and orbital region, sooty black, or dull slate-black; rest of head and neck, including 

 lower portion of hind neck, straw-yellow, paler on the chin and throat. Upper parts, ex- 

 cept as described, rather dark brownish gray or slate-color (more ashy on the back, where 

 paler anteriorly), the remiges and rectrices darker, especially toward ends, where nearly 

 black. Chest (sometimes breast also, or, rarely, even the belly) white, shading gradually 

 into grayish, the under tail-coverts, anal region, flanks, sides, and usually the abdo- 

 men, being deep ash-gray, becoming gradually paler anteriorly. Bill blackish, said to be 

 partly bluish in life; iris brown; feet black, the tarsus light grayish blue in life (changing to 

 yellowish in dried skin). 



Length, about 20.00-23.00 inches; extent, 36.00-38.50; wing, 11.55-12.85; tail, elongated mid- 

 dle feathers, 10.50-14.50, outer feathers, 4.75-6.00; culmen, 1.10-1.30; tarsus, 1.50-1.80; middle toe, 

 1.08-1.30. 



This species apparently has 110 dark phase, like that of S. 

 parasiticus. 



The Long-tailed Jaeger is included in this work on Illinois 

 birds on the strength of the following information received from 

 Mr. W. H. Ballon, in a letter dated March 11, 1878: 



"It may be of some value to you to know that I picked up 

 dead on the Mississippi shore of Cairo, 111., one specimen of Buf- 

 fon's, or the Long-tailed Jaeger. The specimen was obtained in 

 November, 1876, It might have been killed or died in the head- 

 waters of the Mississippi or Missouri River and floated down for 

 all I know. It was too much decayed to preserve, and seemed 

 to have been dead a number of days. After an examination by 

 myself and another gentleman we were compelled to throw it 

 away." 



