STER.SLA GALERICULATA, ELEGANT TERN. 671 



name had better rest, at least until it is certain there is no other large speeies of Trop- 

 ical America to which it can apiily. Besides, the name inajrima involves an iDuccuracy. 

 Gamble's name, regkt, is perfectly definite. I quote .S'. cri/ilirorhtjuchoii as doubtless con- 

 specific with rcgici, but should not be surprised if some varietal distinctions were found 

 in this case. <S'. cldoripoda Vieill. I can make nothing of. 



My personal observations on this species are confined to the coast of 

 !North Carolina ; on a former occasion I gave the following account : 

 This Tern certainly breeds somewhere in the vicinity of Fort Macon ; 

 for, althongh I did not find any nests, I saw it constantly through two 

 summers, and occasionally noticed birds so young that they were still 

 receiving attentions from their parents ; while in June and July small 

 flocks were often noticed pursuing so straight a course for long distances, 

 that I had no doubt they were passing directly between their nests and 

 their feeding- places. It commonly arrives from the south early in April, 

 and through this and the next mouth is more abundant than at other 

 times until the fall — a part, I presume, jiassing further north. It 

 becomes numerous again in September, and so continues until the end 

 of Kovember. I cannot say whether or not any remain all Avinter, but 

 think that, if observed at that season, it will be an excei)tionai case. It 

 is more wary than any of the other Terns, and is always the first to rise 

 among the miscellaneous troops that fleck the sand-bars. It is conspic- 

 uous by its size and bright red bill; and the young are easily distinguished 

 by the smaller size, yellow instead of red bill, and spotted plumage. 

 The old birds lose the black pileum in September, the crown then 

 becoming white, bordered behind by the long, loose blackish feathers of 

 the occiput, and a few^ other dark ones on the sides of the head. The 

 bill in winter is not so vivid in color as in summer, and much shorter. 

 All the changes of the old are finished by October ; but the young 

 remain blotched, atid with mere traces of the pearl-blue mai)tle, all the 

 tall. I took one old bird with the feet curiously mottled with yellowish 

 and black, and yellow claws — probably a pathological state, although 

 the bird ai)peared perfectly healthy. These are vigorous, spirited birds, 

 showing good fight when captured, and strong enough to bite i)retty 

 severely. 'J heir voice is loud and raucous, though still without the deep 

 guttural intonation of that of the Shearwaters. 



STERNA (THALASSEUS) GALERICULATA, Licht. 



Elegant Tern. 



Sterna (jahriculaia, Light., Verz. 1H23, 81 (Brazil).— Sciii.., Mus. P.-B. Sterna', p. 7.— 



FiNSCH, Abli. Nat. 1870, 359 (Mazatlan).— ScL. &, S.^Lv., P. Z. S. 1871,568.— 



C()i:e,s, Key, 1872, 319. 

 (?) ThahtnncHH (ifdininUilna, Bi.as., J. f. O. 18(5(5, 82. 

 Shrnu ela/aiis, Ga.mh., I'r. I'liila. Acad, iv, ]84.-^, 129 (fmniature).- Lawr., B. N. A. 1858, 



8(J0.— Bi>., B. N. A. 18G0, pi. 94.— Lkot., Oi.s. Trinidad, .'■)42. 

 Thalavseits elcf/ans, Gaaih., Jonrn. Phila. Acad, i, 2d serii s, 1849,228. — Hi'., Conipt. Rend. 



1856, 772.— CouK-s, I'r. Pliila. Acad. 1862, 540.— Coves, Ibis, 1864, 389 (Sau 



Salvador).— Salv., Ibis, li^Cfi, 198. 

 Sterna comata, Pmi,. & Landh., Wieg. Arch. lf^68, 126 {ScL & Salr.). 

 "Sterna cdinunennin, Pi:i,z., O. B." (err. for this spec. yjc/c Sci.. & Salv., P. Z. 8. 1>'71, 565). 

 ( f ) " Sterna cr'mtata, .Sw." 



Uab. — Middle and South America. Up the Pacific coast from Pern (Froheen) to Cali- 

 fornia (Camlnl). Tehuantepec (Siimiehrant). Trinidad {f.rotnud). Brazil {Lichtcnaiiin). 

 Not observed on the (iulf or Atlantic coast of tint I iiited States. 



Adnlt, winter phimaye. — (No. 24281, Mus. Siuitli. Inst., I'mmm San Francisco,- Cal.; the 

 type <)f the above-cited plate.) Bill nuieh h)iii;er tiian tlie iicad, cxceedinj; the tarsus, 

 middle toe and claw to;;(tlier ; much com]iress(<l, very ^hi.der, its tip attmnatcd. 

 Culmen (piite straij^ht tu bc_\ond the noslrils, then >1ij;htl> and eiiualdy convex for the 

 rest of its lenj;th ; broad basally, more c( nipiesseil and tiansveisely cuuvex anteiiorly. 

 Commissure declinato-convex for nearly its wlwde length. Alandiliular rami very t^hort, 

 decidedly concave in outline, their angle ol divergi-nci- very acute. Gonys extremely 



