688 STERNA DOUGALLI, EOSEATE TERN. 



common amount of tliffereucc. The Tving, from the flexure, differs among the several 

 specimens before me almost or quite an inch. The usual length appears to be about ten 

 inches, though many are half an inch longer, and some hardly over nine. The tarsus 

 and toes, both in their relative and absolute lengths, are very constant, hardly varying 

 appreciat)ly in the large series before me. 



The color of the bill is pretty constant, a uniform deep lake. Sometimes, however, 

 it acquires considerable of a blackish tinge toward the tip ; but the black never 

 equals that of S. hirundo in extent. The shade of the color of the under parts may be 

 lighter or darker, l)ut in summer birds it is always darker than in hirundo, and extends 

 in nearly or quite full intensity to the under tail-coverts. Its other variations in color 

 are unimportant. 



The North Pacific birds of this species are perhaps rather smaller, upon an average, 

 with somewhat slenderer bill and shorter wings, than those of the Atlantic. 



Syvotnimy. — The questions arising chiefly relate to the ^'hirundo" of some of the ear- 

 lier authors, already considered ; but, as intimated under head of the last species, it 

 may not be absolutely necessary to make a change so likely to provoke confusion. 

 Temminck named the bird arctica in 1820, but the designation must yield to macrnra, 

 Naumann (1819), the priority of which Temminck admits, but does not make valid 

 claim to his name in the fact that it is the more appropriate one. Coccineirosfris of 

 Reichenbach is considered by both Gray and Bonaparte, who separate the North Amer- 

 ican bird from the European, to belong to the former. I have seen no authentic spec- 

 imen of it, but it is quite certain that no differences subsist between the birds of the 

 two continents. There seems to be no question whatever of the pertinence here of the 

 names argentata, argeniacea, hrachytarsa, nitsschii and hrachi/pus. In considering pikei of 

 Lawrence to belong here, I am guided by a very thorough re-examination of the type- 

 specimen, which was not readily accessible when, in the Key, I too hastily referred it 

 to longipennis. Satisfied that it was not a distinct species, I followed other authority 

 in assigning it there ; but I now find nothing in »S'. inkei not nearly matched by some 

 of the Pacific specimens of S. macrura I have latterly examined. What is left of the 

 broken-off bill is rather slenderer than usual, but not noticeably more so than in some 

 young specimens of macrura. 



STEENA DOUGALLI, Mont. 

 Roseate Tern. 



Cil) Sterna pm-adlsea, BrCnn., Orn. Bor. 1764, 46 (more likely macrura). 



Sterna paradisea, Keys. & Blas., Wirb. Eur. 1840, 97.— Schl., Rev. Crit. Ois. Eur. 1844, 

 130.— Degl., Orn. Eur. ii, 1849, 346.— Gray, Gen of B. iii, 1849, 659 ; List Br. B. 

 1863, 239.— Bp., Compt. Rend. 1856, 772.— Lawr., B. N. A. 1858, 863.— (?) Wheat., 

 Ohio Agric. Rep. 1860, No. 275.— CoUES, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1862, 551.— Le6t., Ois. 

 Trinidad, 539.— Coues, Ibis, 1864, 389 (Honduras).— Salv., Ibis, 1866, 199 (the 

 same).- GuNDL., Repert. F. N. i, 392 (Cuba).— Lawk., Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii, 1866, 

 299 (New York). — Allen, Pr. Ess. Inst, iv, 1864, 90 (Massachusetts, rare). — 

 Coues, ihid. v, 1868, 60 (Massachusetts, common, breeding).— Coues, Pr. Bost. 

 Soc. xii, 1868, 126 (South Carolina, in summer).— Mayn., Guide, 1870, IriG 

 (Massachusetts, common). — Allen, Am. Nat. iii, 1870, 643 (Massachusetts, 

 breeding).— Coues, Key, 1872, 321. 



St^-na dougaUi, Mont., Orn. Diet. Suppl. 1813.— Leach, Cat. 1816, 41.— Vieill., Nouv. 

 Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xxxii, 1819, 438.— Temm., Man. ii, 1820, 738.— Boie, Isis, 1822, 

 363.— Stepil, Gen. Zool. xiii, 1826, 153.— Flem., Br. An. 1828, 143.— Less., Tr. 

 Orn. 1831, 691.— Brehm, V. D. 1831, 779.— Nutt., Man. ii, 1834, 278.— Jen., 

 Man. 1835, 265.— Eyt., Cat. Br. B. 1836, 55.— Bp., List, 1838, 61.— AuD., Orn. 

 Biog. iii, 1835, 296, pi. 240 ; Syn. 1839, 320 ; B. Am. vii, 1844, 112, pi. 437.— 

 Naum., V. D. X. 1840, 78, pi. 251.— GiR., B. L. I. 1844, 351.— Cab., Pr. Bost. Soc. 

 ii, 248 (Massachusetts). — Putn., Pr. Ess. Inst, i, 1856, 221 (Massachusetts). — 

 TuKNB., B. E. Pa., 1869, 38.— Sund., Ofv. K. A. Forh. 1869, 589 (St. Bartholo- 

 niew).— SCL. & Salv., P. Z. S. 1871, 571 (Tropical America). 



Thalasswa dougaUi, Kaup., Sk. Ent. Eur. Thierw. 1829, 97. 



Hydrocecropis dougaUi, Boie, Isis, 1844, 179. 



Sterna macdougalli, Macgil., Man. ii, 1842, 233. 



Sterna douglasi, Blas., J. f. O. 1866, 80. 



Sterna bicuspis et tennirostris, Light. (Fide Blas.) 



Diag. S. rostro tenue, nigra, ad hasin rubescente, pedihus rubro-aurantiads, caudd longis- 

 simd, albidd, remigibus albo-marginatis ad apices ipsas ; paltio perlaceo, gastrwo rosaceo- 

 albo. 



Hah. — Europe. In North America, observed from Massachusetts to Florida, thence 

 to Central America. Various West Indian Islands. Breeds apparently throughout its 

 range. No United States record of wintering. 



