636 STERNA CANTIACA. 



there, or liow it went thence to Europe, is an enigma which 

 may perhaps never be solved." 



These observations, made by ornitliologists of so mucli 

 celebrity, may suffice in the absence of any by myself. It 

 remains now only to describe the young. 



YorxG. — When fledged, and able to fly, the young has 

 the bill m\ich shorter than the head, and of a greyish-dusky 

 colour, with the extreme tip yellowish ; the feet dusky, but 

 the heel or prominence below the upper tarsal joint, and the 

 soles, dull yellowish ; the claws brown, with the margins and 

 lower surface yellowish. The upper part of the head and 

 nape is mottled with black, Avhite, and pale reddish ; the fore 

 part of the back, and the scapulars, pale reddish, barred with 

 blackish-brown ; the wing-coverts with curved bands of the 

 same ; the quills deep grey, edged and tipped with white ; 

 the tail-feathers white at the base, then grey, gradually 

 deepening into greyish-black, and tipped with white. The 

 throat, cheeks, lower parts, and a portion of the back, 

 white. The feathers are of a looser texture than in the 

 adult, and those of the occiput and nape are oblong and 

 rounded. 



Progress toward Maturity. — After its first moult, 

 which is finished by the end of September, the young is as 

 follows : — The bill is still shorter than the head, although 

 compressed, much less attenuated, and of a dull greyish- 

 dusky colour, with the edges of the lower mandible yellomsh 

 flesh-colour, and the extreme tips yellow. The tongue is 

 livid flesh-colour, and but slightly slit. The feathers are less 

 compact and glossy, and those of the occiput are still rounded. 

 The upper parts of the head and nape are variegated with 

 black and white. The fore part and sides of the neck, with 

 all the lower parts, are pure white ; as are the hind-neck 

 and rump, but most of the feathers there have a crescent 

 at the tip. The fore part of the back, the scapulars, and 

 the smaller wing-coverts, are light greyish-blue, with similar 

 black bars ; the secondary coverts unspotted, and toward 

 the end white ; the secondaries white, with an oblong dark 



