556 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OF 



is in all probability identical with fuliginosa, and is at all events strictly con- 

 generic with it. This being the case, perhaps Onychoprion ought to be employed 

 for the genus ; as it is instituted several pages in advance of Haliplana. But, as 

 the conflicting names are by the same author, and bear the same date, I have 

 preferred to adopt Haliplana, which, besides being based upon the old and well- 

 known type fuliginosa, has the merit of being much more euphonious. 



Haliplana fuliginosa Wagl. ex Gm. 



Sterna fuliginosa, Gml. S. N., 1788, i. 605, et auct. 

 Haliplana fuliginosa, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1224. 

 Onychoprion fuliginosa, Gould, Introd. B. aust. , 1848, 113. 

 Sterna serrata, Forster, Descrip. Anim. 1844, 276. Adult. 

 Onychoprion serrata, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 277. 

 Sterna oahuensis, Bloxham, Voy. Blonde, 1826, p. 251. Fide Cass. 

 Sterna guttata, Forster, Descript. Anim. 1844, p. 211. Juv. 



Anous Vherminieri, Lesson, Descr. de Mammiferes et d'oiseaux, &c, 1847, p. 255. 

 Juv. 



Diag. H. bicolor, corpore supra, rostro, pedibus, remigibusque nigris ; cor- 

 pore subtus, fronte tt rectrici laterali nisi apicem versus, albis. (Adu/tus). 



Minor; rostre graciliore ; cauda minus forficata ; corpore toto brunnescente- 

 nigro, subtus dilutiore, abdomine tectricibusque caudalibus inferioribus griseo- 

 albis ; tectricibus alarum late albo-terminatis. (Juvenis). 



The plumage of the young of the year of this species differs so remarkably 

 from that of the adult, that I have above contrasted the diagnoses of the two 

 ages. While the plumage of the adult is well known, a description of that of 

 the young may not be here out of place. 



{Young of the year.) The bill is much smaller and weaker than that of the 

 adult ; its upper mandible black; its lower, together with the eyes and feet, are 

 dusky red. The whole body is a uniform brownish or fuliginous black, this 

 color deepening on the primaries, growing lighter on the under parts, until on 

 the abdomen and under tail coverts it is dull grayish white. The wing coverts 

 and scapulars are all broadly tipped with white, giving a very marked spotted 

 appearance to the parts. The feathers of the back, rump and upper tail coverts 

 are narrowly margined with dull rufous, which gives a transversely waved 

 appearance to the parts. The tail is uniformly of much the color of the wings : 

 all the feathers at their extreme tips fading into light brown. 



The above description is takeu from a bird in the collection of the U. S. 

 Exploring Expedition, under Captain Wilkes, U. S, N., taken at Hendin Island. 

 It is labelled " S. fuliginosa, Gm. juv.," by Mr. Cassin. I have carefully com- 

 pared the series of adults in the same collection, and cannot find that they 

 differ in the least from specimens from the West Indies and Southern States. 



Upon the above-described state of plumage of Haliplana fuliginosa is based, 

 I take it, the Anous Vherminieri of Lesson. (" Descriptions de Mammiferes et 

 d'oiseaux recemment decouverts," 1847, page 255.) A condensed translation 

 of this author's description is as follows : " Length 24 cent. Bill black above, 

 red on the lower mandible; tarsi red. Plumage uniform dusky black beneath, 

 the lower belly and under tail coverts white, washed with gray; above black- 

 ish brown, dark and uniform on the head and neck, enammelled with trans- 

 verse white spots on the greater wing coverts, and rayed with rufous on the 

 back, rump and wing coverts." It will be seen that this description corresponds 

 in the minutest particulars, which render it but little if at all doubtful, what 

 bird he had under consideration. His specimens came from the Antilles near 

 the Guadaloupe. 



I have also quoted, as a synonym of the young, S. guttata of Forster. This 

 author (loco citato) says : " S. cauda forficata corpore fuliginoso, dorso tec- 

 tricibusque albomaculatis, pedibus nigris," and a part of his further descrip- 

 tion is : " Corpus magnitudine circiter Sternx kirundinis." . . . "Corpus 



[Deo. 



