STERNA AN^STHETA, BRIDLED TERN. 701 



former is greatly increased in tliickness, so as to give great contractile power to this 

 jiortiou of the duct, enabling it to expel the fully-formed egg. Simultaneously with 

 this increase of the muscular parietes, the longitudinal rugte become vastly augmented 

 in size, and lose their straight character. They become highly convoluted and irregu- 

 lar, and in the uudilated state of the parts present, on cutting into the tube, the 

 appearance of numerous, waved, flattened folds, pressed closely together side by 

 side. The aggregate thickness of these mucous ruga; and the muscle together, make 

 the diameter of the tube scarcely less than half an inch. The liniug of this portion 

 of the canal is parti-colored, being variegated with irregular patches of black. 



The cloaca is, as usual in the family, very ca^jacious, and of a globular shape. Ine 

 two portions into which it is divided are better marked than in any other species I 

 have examined. The semicircular fokl of mucous membrane is very distinct, and 

 the part beyond it is deepened into a perfect pouch or bursa, the orifice of which can 

 be closed by the a])positiou of the elevated fold of mucous membrane against the 

 posterior border of the anus. Just above this fold the ureters open upon papilla; in 

 the usual position. To the left of the left orifice, on the side of the cloaca, is the 

 opening of the oviduct, ordinarily tightly closed by a spincter, whicli produces puck- 

 ering and corrugation of the membrane around the orifice, similar to those caused by 

 the spincter ani. 



Synonymy. — The Atlantic references to this bird are comparatively few and definite, 

 there being scarcely a synonym excepting Anons Vherminieri, Less., and this unques- 

 tionably belongs here. His bird was from the Antilles, and the description is appli- 

 cable in every particular to the characters of the very young bird above described. 

 There are, however, a considerable number of Pacific quotations which will bear dis- 

 cussion. We may first state that 6'. serrata of Forster (the basis of Onychoprion, Wagl.), 

 is undoubtedly founded upon the adult of this species. Forster's guttata is also, no 

 doubt, a synonym of the young of this species, in the curiously spotted condition of 

 earlj- immaturity, yet with the white front and whitish under parts appearing. The 

 S. oahucnsis of Bloxham is uncertain ; it may have been either this or the succeeding 

 species. I quote several other names, of which I know nothing mj'self, upon authority 

 cited with each. 



STEEXA (HALIPLANA) AN^STHETA,* Scop. 



Bridled Tern. 



(?) Sterna. niiMom, Sparrm., Mus. Carls, pi. 62 {fide Sund.).— Suxd,, Ofv. Vet. Ak. Forh. 



1869, 589 (St. Bartholomew.) (= S. hoysii, var. y, Lath.) 

 Sterna anosthirta, Scop, (ex SoNX., Voy. pi. 84 ; Panay). 

 Sterna (IlaUplana) anostluvta, Coi'KS, Key, 1872, :i22. 



EydroeluUdon {UaUplana) anoathatm, Gray, Hand-list, iii, 1871, 122, No. 11080. 

 Sterna panayensis, Gm., Svst. Nat. i, 1788, 607 (ex L'hirondellc de mer de Visle de Panay, 



SoNX., /. c. p. 125). 

 Tfaliplana panayensis, Salv., Ibis, 1864, 381, 392 ; ihid. 1866, 199 (Honduras). 

 Onychoprion panayensis, ScL. & Salv., P. Z. S. 1871, 572 (Middle America). 

 S*crna panaya, Lath., Ind. Orn. ii, 1790, 808 (same as panayensis, Gm.). 

 Onychoprion panaya, Gouu), B. Aust. vii, pi. 33. 

 IJaliplana pu)iayu, CouES, Ibis, 1864, 391 (Honduras). 

 {1)Sterna antarctica, C\:v.,fidc Gray et Blas. (Bp. says = fuUginosa). 

 (l) Sterna oahuensis, Blox., Voy. Bloudo, 1826, 251, fide Gray et Blas. (Cass, days = 



fnVuiinosa). 

 Haliplana discolor, CouKS, Ibis, 1864, 392 (Honduras). — Lawu., Auu. Lye. N. Y. viii, 105 



(Sombrero). — Eijt.iot, B. N. Am. ii, pi. 57. (May be a fair variety.) 

 Sterna " mtlanoptcra, Sw.,'' apnd Gray (15las. says =^fnUyinosa). 

 Sterna " in/uscata, Rupp. ; fuliyinosa et /Hii(/tt/a, "Licht. ;" apud Blas., J. f. O. 1866, 81. 



DiAG. S. supra cincreo-hrunnea, alls cinereo-nitjris, rectricihus ejrtcriorihus duahns fere ex 

 toto albis, pdvo niyro, ccrvice ex alhido cinerasccntc, lunula J'rontali alba, anyustatd, post 

 oculos pon-ectd, freno nigro per oculos in fronleni extretnani extenso. 



Ilab. — Warmer parts of the globe. Originally described from the Philiiii)ine Islands. 

 Australia. Middle America. West Indies. Florida (spec, in cab. G. X. L., so labeled 

 by Audubon). The American may be varietally distinguishable. 



Description (from an adult Florida s])ecinien, received from Mr. Audubon, in the 

 cabinet of G. N. Lawrence) : Form typical of the genus, as already described. Bill 

 and feet black. Crown, and a moderately broad stripe through the eyes to the nostrils, 



*I have not seen tlie original, which Gray cpiotes as " <uii)slh<ilus ; " but if, as I jjre- 

 sume, the word is allied to aininthcKia, anasthitic, in allusion to an apparent stolidity of 

 temper of the bird, this spelling is evidently more nearly correct. 



