HYPOTHETICAL LIST. 739 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



In this sjjecies we have another bird so closely resembling three related species as to be 

 readily confounded with them by any except the most careful observers. It may be 

 known in summer from any Michigan tern by the combination of three peculiarities: 

 The breast and belly are either pure white or rose-tinted; the entire tail is white, the outer 

 and inner webs of the outer tail-feathers being precisely alike; the bill is mainly black, 

 being reddish only at or near the base. The tail is about as long as in the Arctic Tern, 

 being at least an "inch longer tlian in Forster's, and nearly two inches longer than in the 

 Common Tern. Winter adulls and young of the year are similar to those of the sjaecies 

 already mentioned and can l)c separated only by the expert. Length, 14 to 17 inches; 

 wing, 9.25 to 9.75; tail, 7.25 to 7.75 (forked for 3.50 to 4.50 inches); culmen, 1.50. 



Sooty Tern. Sterna fuscata {Linn.) (75) 



This is another tropical or suh-tropical species of wide distribution which 

 has been credited to Michigan. Its normal habitat in America is from 

 Chili to western Mexico and the Carolinas, casually to New England. 

 It is barely possible that one might be caught in a tropical hurricane and 

 swept northward into the Great Lake region, but we know of no instance. 

 The record for DeWitt, Ingham county (Cook, Birds of Michigan, 2d ed., 

 1893, 35) unquestionably relates to the Black Tern, which occurs not 

 iufrecpiently on the ponds and marshes of Ingham county, but probably 

 was unknown to the recorder. Dr. Topping, who found the name "Sooty 

 Tern" appropriate to the specimen he took. The Sooty Tern is larger 

 than either the Common Tern or Forster's Tern, mainly sooty black above, 

 but pure white below, the outer pair of tail feathers mainly white, the 

 others blackish. 



Anhinga. Anhinga anhinga {Linn.). (118) 



Synonyms: Snake Bird, Water Turkey. 



This is a tropical form restricted to the southern portions of the United 

 States and not likely ever to occur within om- limits. Its appearance in for- 

 mer Hsts seems to be due to the statement that Mr. Chas. Dury of Cincin- 

 nati, Ohio, had a specimen in his collection which was brought from Sault 

 Ste. Marie, Mich., by a gentleman who is said to have obtained it from the 

 ])crson who shot it, the implication ])eing that it was killed at Sault Ste. 

 Marie. It is extremely improbable that this was the case, there being only 

 the barest possibiUty that a bird of this kind, accustomed only to tropical 

 waters, could have survived more than a few hours in the icy current of 

 St. Mary's River, even had it in some mysterious manner reached that 

 northern point. It is far more probable that this was a Florida specimen 

 included among the wares of some curio dealer who was willing to ascribe 

 any locality to the bird which would secure its sale. So far as we can 

 learn there is no record of the occurrence of this species north of South 

 ('arolina and the southernmost point of Illinois. 



Cormorant. Phalacrocorax carbo {Linn.). (119) 



Another species which has appeared pretty regularly in previous lists 

 of the liirds of the state, but a]:)parently without wan-ant.^ It is practically 

 certain that all the so-called records of this Inrd are based in reality on 

 the ])oul)lc-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritns which is doul)tloss 

 the onl}^ species which occurs in Michigan. The Common Cormorant 



