o 



16 LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS — LONGIPENNES. 



Sterna anostheeta. 



THE BRIDLED TERN. 



Sterna anostJiceta, Scor. Del. F;uui. ct Flor. lus. I. 17S(.>, no. 72 (ex Sonn. Voy. 125, pi. 84). — 



CouE.s, Check List, 1873, no. 57-i. 

 Sterna [Haliplana) anust/udu, Couiis, Key, 1872, 322. 

 Sterna (IlaUplana) anccsthcta, CouES, Birds N. W. 1874, 701. 

 Sterna anmstlwta, Saundeus, P. Z. S. 1876, 664 (fig. of foot on p. 665). — Ridgw, Nom. N. Am. B. 



1881, no. 692. 

 Sterna anccsthetica, CouES, 2d Check List, 1882, no. 805. 

 Sterna oahuensis, Blox. Voy. " Blonde," 1826, 251. 

 Sterna panayensis, Gmel. S. N. L ii. 1788, 607. 

 Sterna panaya. Lath. Ind. Orn. IL 1790, 808. 

 Sterna antarctiea, "Cuv." Less. Traite, 1831, 621. 

 Sterna inficscata, Heugl. Ibi.s, 1859, 351. 



Haliplana discolor, Coues, Ibis, 1864, 392. — Elliot, Illustr. Am. B. IL 1869, pi. 57. 

 ? Hydroclulidon somalcnsis, Hkvgl. Orn. N.-O. Afr. 1873, p. ccvii. 

 Sterna nielanoptcra, Swains. B. N. W. Afr. 1837, 249. 



Hab. Nearly the same range as S.fuliginosa, but not ranging so far from the tropics. Florida 

 (only North American record). 



Sp. Char. Adult : Lores, crown, occiput, and upper part of nape deep black ; forehead and 

 superciliary region, entire lower part.?, and under surface of the wing pure white. Lower part of 

 nape and extreme upper part of the back ashy white ; remaining upper parts brownish slate, more 

 plumbeous oil the back, where shading gradually into the whitish of the nape ; primaries, primary 



^^x 



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coverts, and alulre blackish slate. Rump and six middle tail-feathers brownish ashy, like the back, 

 the two outer reclrices on each side white, shading into grayish terminally, most extensively on 

 the second feather, the outer web of the first being wholly white. Bill and feet black ; iris dark 

 brown. Young, first plumage : Entire lower parts, with cheeks, forehead, and sides of the crown, 

 white, as in the adult ; middle of the crown, with occiput and nape, brownish dusky, the first 

 streaked with grayish white. Upper parts grayish brown, the scapulars, interscapulars, and tertials 

 bordered terminally with grayish white. 



Totallength, 14.00 to 15.00 inches; wing, 10..50 ; tail, 6.00-7.00; culmen, 1.40-1.60; depth 

 of bill at base, .35-. 40 ; tarsus, .85 ; middle toe, .85. 



There can be very little doubt that this species is an occasional visitant of Florida, 

 both on the Atlantic and on the Gulf coast. There is now in the collection of Mr. 

 George !N". Lawrence, of New York, an example labelled as having been taken in 

 Florida ; it was formerly in the Audubon collection ; and Mr. Charles B. Cory, of 

 Boston, in the summer of 1879 found it abundant in June on Long Island, one of the 

 Bahamas. In the West India Islands, where it is especially numerous, it is ''the egg- 



