128 [December, 



He found them breeding in great numbers at Charlotte harbour, in Florida, 

 and visited the breeding place three successive times, to assure himself that the 

 young birds are not white, but coloured lil<e the adults, only of a duller hue, and 

 without plumes ; as he was also informed by his host. He did not see a single 

 white specimen among hundreds of young birds, and has presented to the Aca- 

 demy the true young of E. rufescens. 



This specimen which is just fully fledged, with a few woolly feathers yet re- 

 maining about the head, is developing the colours of the adult jufescens, without 

 a single white feather. But what is most convincing, is, that the bill is entirely 

 dusky, with a mere indication that its base will become pale. 



Peale's Egret is a smaller bird and less in its proportions every way. The 

 young also is pure white like the adult, but wants the elongated plumes, and has 

 the bill entirely dusky, the basal portion gradually assuming its pale colour, 

 as is seen in a specimen brought by Dr. Hermann. 



Sterna frenata, Gamb. 



S, argentea, Nutt. Man. Orn. vol. 2, p 280 ; Bonap. Comp. list of Eds. of 

 Eur. and Amer.; Gray's Gen. Eds.; non De Wied.; S, minuta, Wilson, And. 

 pi. 319. 



Nuttali was the first to observe differences between the little Terns of Europe and 

 those of America, and supposed ours to be the same with theA cr^en^ea of Brazil, 

 described by the Prince de Wied. Having specimens however of that species 

 in the collections of the Academy, I find it very distinct from either, and readily 

 distinguished by its very much larger thicker bill, longer, differently coloured 

 wings, shorter tail, &c. 



Like all the closely allied species of Europe and North America, which differ 

 not so much in colour as in form and proportion, the little Terns of the two con- 

 tinents resemble each other so closely, that it is difficult to determine specific 

 characters. But as those species which inhabit a wide rani^e in either country, 

 and not confined to the northern regions, are nearly always found distinct, so the 

 little Terns, extending as they do to the tropics, and not having been as yet found 

 in the arctic regions, should also, according to the laws of geographical distribu- 

 tion, be different. 



Some of the distinctions drawn by Nuttali I think will be found dependant on 

 age. The bill in specimens which I have compared of the American is shorter 

 and smaller in its measurements every way, the wings and tarsi are also shorter, 

 and the outer tail feathers more acuminate than in the European, but still 1 should 

 have hesitated to give it anew name, had it not been considered different by se- 

 veral ornithologists and erroneously referred to S. argentea o(. Tie Wied. 



Sterna regia, Gamb. 



S. cayana, Aud. pi. 273, Orn. Biog., vol. 3. pi. ^05; Bonap.; Giraud, Bds. 

 Long Island p. 355 ; S. cayana, Lath. ?; >S. erythrurhynchos De Wied, Bey. Zur 

 Natur. Brazil. ] 



Adult male. — Length, 19 inches : extent of wings, 3 ft. 9 in. : Length of wing, 

 15 in. : outer tail feathers, 7^ in. : tarsus, 1 inch and 2-lOths, black : bill bright 

 red, along the ridge, 2.| in. : from corner of the mouth, 3^ in. : from symphysis to 

 point, beneath, 1 inch: depth at commencement of feathers, 7-IOths inch. 



