704 HYDROCHELIDON LARIFORMIS, BLACK TERN. 



features. These cousist priucipally in the extreme slenderness of the hill, and the 

 auiouiit of detlectiou of its very acute tip ; iu the uarrow aud very deeply iucised 

 iuterdij^ital membraues ; iu the short aud uot deeply forked tail. The size is small, 

 aud the patteru of coloration peculiar. In the character of the tail the genus ap- 

 ])roaches Gelochclkloii, but there the resemblance ends. It seems, while most closely 

 allied to the typical Sterna; to form the conuectiug link between them aud Haliplana ; 

 aud among the JSlccialoptcreiv, to have afifluity with such geuera as that of which Gould's 

 AnoKs p]umhin>i is typical. 



North America has a single representative of this genus, the young of which was 

 described by Wilson as S. phimhea, but which is apparently identical specifically with 

 the H. fmsipes of Europe. The European species are three — lariformis, Linn. {Sterna 

 nigra, Briss., and of many authors); nigra, Linn, (lexcoptera, Auct.); aud hyhrida. Pall. 

 {leucopareia, Natt., and most authors). The second of these has lately been detected in 

 North America, but can only be considered as a straggler. 



The first distinctive name for the genus is that of Boie of 1822. Leach's Viralva of 

 1826, and Kaup's Pelodes of 1829, are entirely synonymous. Of the several siiecies of 

 this genus indicated by authors, the two occurring in North America may be distin- 

 guished from each other and from H. hyhrida, as follows : 



A. Head all around, and under parts, black ; the crissum abruptly white. 



Small. Wing under 8. Bill dark. 



a. Wings and tail above plumbeous, like the back lariformis. 



i. Wii:gs whiteuing along fore-arm border ; tail with its upper 



coverts white nigra. 



B. Cap alone black ; body above and below, with wings and tail, dark 



pearly plumbeous, whiteuing on crissum and sides of head. Large. 



Wing over 9 ; bill light hyhrida.* 



HYDEOCHELIDON LAEIFOEMIS, (Linn.) Cones. 



Black Tern. 



a-. [European references.) 



Balhis lariformift, Linn., Syst. Nat. i, ed. 10th, 1758, 153 {=:S. nnivia of ed. 12th). 



Sterna fissipes, Linn., Syst. Nat. i, 1766, 228 (based primanlv on S. nigra, Briss., Orn. 

 vi, 211, pi. 20, f 1).— Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 1788, 610.— Lath., Ind. Orn. ii, 1790, 

 810.— ScH^FF., Mus. Orn. 1779, 65.— BhUnn., Orn. Bor. 1764, No. 153.— Degl., 

 Oru. Eur. ii, 1849, 349. 



Hydrochelidon Jissijies, Gi:ay, Gen. of B. iii, 1849, 660 ; List Br. B. 1863, 243.— Blas., 

 J. f. O. 1866, 82. 



Sterjia nigra, Buiss., Orn. vi, 1760, 211, pi. 20, f. 1.— Retz., Fu. Succ. 1800, 164.— Mey,, 

 tasch. ii, 1811, 461.— Temm., Man. 1815, 484 ; ii, 1820, 749.— Leach, Cat. 1816, 

 41.— ViEiLL., Nouv. Diet, xxxii, 1819, 170 ; Fn. Franc. 1828, 400.— Flem., Br. 

 B. 1828, 144.— NiLSS., Orn. Suec. ii, 1821, 160.— Less., Tr. Orn. 1831, 622.— Jen., 

 Man. 1835, 268.— Eyt., Cat. 1836, 55.— Keys. & Blas., Wirb. Eur. 1840, 98.— 

 ScHiNZ, Eur. Fn. 1840, 375.— Naum., V. D. x, 1840, 198, pi. 256.— Macgil., Man. 

 Orn. ii, 1840, 233 ; Br. B. v, — .— Schl., Rev. Crit. Ois. Eur. 1844, 130. 



Hydrochelidon nigra, Boie, Isis, 1822, 563.— Kaip, Sk. Eut. Eur. Thierw. 1829, 109.— 

 Bkehm, V. D. 1831, 793.— Bp., List, 1838, 61. 



Viralva nigra. Leach, Gen. Zool. xiii, 1826, 167. 



Sterna navia, Linn., Syst. Nat. i, 1766, 228 (based on S. vavia, Briss., vi, 217, pi, 20, f. 

 2, and IiaUus lariformis of ed. x, 1758, 153).— SchvEFF., Mus. Oru. 1779, 66.— 

 Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 1786, 609 (Sterna hoysii var. B. of Lath., Ind. Oru. ii, 806, is 

 the same as this). 



(?) Sterna ohscura, Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 1788, 608.— Lath., Ind. Orn. ii, 1790, 810. 



Hydrochelidon nigricans et ohscura, Brehm, V. D. 1831, 794, 795. 



* Sterna hyhrida. Pall., Zoog. R. A. ii, 1811, 338.— Keys. & Blas., Wirb. Eur. 1840, 98. 

 Hydrochelidon hyhrida, Gray, Gen. of B. iii, 1849, 660 ; List Br. B. 1863, 242.— Blas., 



J. f O. 1866, 82. 

 Sterna leucoparcia, Natt.— Temm., Man. ii, 1820, 746.— Naum., V. D. x, 1840, 168, pi. 255. 

 Viralva leucopareia, Sterh., Gen. Zool. xiii, 1826, 171. 

 Pelodes leucoparcia, Kaup, Sk. Eut. Eur. Thierw. 1829, 107. 

 Hydrochelidon leucopareia, Boie.— Brehm, V. D. 1831, 797, pi. 39, f. 1. 

 Sterna delamotfei, Vieill., Ency. Meth. 350. 



"Sterna (/risea,llonsF.; indica, Stkvh. ; alhistriata et similia, Ghay ; fluviatiUs, Govld ; 

 'delalandii, Bp." (Fide Blas., J. f. O. 1866, 82.) 

 Since the term "hyhrida" is obviously meaningless in such employ — in fact wholly 

 incorrect and inapplicable — should it uot be passed over, like any other glariugly inap- 

 propriate designation, in favor of the better known and well-fitting, though subsequent, 

 appellation leucopareia f 



