LARID.E THE GULLS AND TERNS. 245 



Sterna forsteri Nuttall. 



FORSTER'S TERN. 



Popular synomyms. Havell's Tern; Striker (coast of Virginia). 



Sterna hirundo B\f. & RICH. F. B.-A. ii, 1831, 412 (not of LINN.). 



Sterna forsteri NUTT. Man. ii, 1834, 274 (foot-note). LAWB. in Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, 862. 



BAIRD. Cat, N. Am. B. 1859, No. 691.-COUES. Key, 1872, 321; Check List, 1873, No. 566; 



2d ed. 1882, No. 798; Birds N. W. 1874, 676. HENSHAW, Zool. Wheeler's Exp. 1875, 486. 



RIDGW. Orn. 40th Par. 1877, 639; Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 685; Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 42. 



B. B. & R. Water B. N. Am. ii, 1884, 292.- A. O. U. Check List. 1886, No. 69. 

 Sterna havelli AUD. Orn. Biog. v, 1839, 122. pi. 409, flg. 1 (young in winter); Synop. 1839, 318; 



B. Am. viii, 1844, 103, pi. 434. LAWB. in Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, 861. BAIBD, Cat. N. 



Am. B. 1859, No. 686. 



HAB. North America generally, breeding from interior of British America south to the 

 coast of Virginia, Illinois, Southern Texas, Nevada, California, etc.; migrating south to 

 Brazil. 



SP. CHAR. Adult, in summer: Pileum and nape deep black. Upper parts, including 

 rump and tail, light pearl-gray, the primaries and tail paler and more silvery, the inner 

 webs of the outer pair of rectrices usually darker (sometimes quite dusky) for that portion 

 beyond the tip of the next feather. Inner webs of primaries without any well-defined white 

 space, except on two outer quills, but the edge usually more or less dusky. Tips of second- 

 aries, anterior upper tail-coverts, sides and under part of head and neck, and entire lower 

 parts pure white. Bill dull waxy orange, the terminal third or more blackish, with the tip 

 usually paler; mouth orange; edges of eyelids black; iris dark brown; legs and feet very 

 fine orange-red, the claws black. Adult, in winter: Similar, but the head and neck white,' 

 the occiput and nape inor ^ or less tinged with grayish, the sides of the head marked by a 

 broad space of black surrounding the eyes and extending back over the auriculars. Tail 

 less deeply forked than in summer, the outer rectrices broader and less elongated. 

 Young, first plumage: Similar to the winter plumage, but the pileum, nape, back, scapu- 

 lars, tertials, and wing-coverts overlaid by a wash of raw umber browa, chiefly on the ends 

 of the feathers, but appearing nearly uniform on the back and crown; sides of the breast 

 tinged with the same. Rectrices all distinctly dusky terminally especially on inner webs 

 (the outer web of the lateral feather hoary white to the tip), the middle feathers tipped with 

 raw umber. Bill dusky, more brownish on basal portion of the mandible; legs and feet 

 light brown in the dried skin. Downy young: Prevailing color light brownish buff, the 

 breast and abdomen white; lower surface entirely immaculate, but upper parts coarsely 

 and irregularly marbled with black, the sides of the head with a few scattered irregular 

 minute markings of the same. Length, about 3.50 inches, the culmen .35 of an inch. 



To'al length, about 12.00 to 15.00 i:uhes; extent, 30.00; wing, 9.50-10.30; tail, 5.00-7.70; depth 

 of its fork, 2.30-5.00; culmen, 1.50-1.65; depth of bill through base, .3S-.49; tarsus, .90-.9j; mid- 

 dle toe, 1.05-1.15. 



This is the common tern of the Mississippi Valley, and proba- 

 bly the only species of the genus which breeds in Illinois. Al- 

 though the writer found it common and undoubtedly breeding 

 at Sacramento, California, and at various localities in Nevada 

 and Utah, he became intimately acquainted with its breeding 

 habits only on Cobb's and adjoining islands, off the coast of 

 Virginia. There, although fairly common, it was less numerous 

 than the Common, Least, and Gull-billed Tern (S. Mrundo, . 



