512 



BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



STERNA ANiETHETA RECOGNITA (Mathews). 



CARIBBEAN BRIDLED TERN. 



Similar to 5. a. anxtheta'^ but under parts wholly pure white, 

 hindneck white, and lateral rectrices white with very little brownish 

 gray on terminal portion of inner web only. 



Adults (sexes alike). — Forehead and superciliary region, lower 

 portion of lores, suborbital region, lower portion of auricular region, 

 and entire under parts, including axillars and under wing-coverts, 

 immaculate pure white; lower hindneck grayish white or very pale 

 gray; crown, occiput, nape, upper hindneck, postocular region (in- 

 cluding upper portion of auricular region) and broad stripe across 

 lores (from bill to eye) uniform black; back, scapulars, rump, upper 

 tail-coverts and eight middle rectrices plain blackish fuscous, becoming 

 more grayish (nearly quaker drab) on upper back, where fading 

 anteriorly to grayish white on lower hindneck; wings deeper fuscous- 

 black, the primaries darker (more nearly black), the anterior margin 

 of wing, abruptly, pure white; outermost pair of rectrices wliite, with 

 terminal portion of inner web brownish gray, the next pair similar 

 but with much more gray, this on terminal portion of outer web also ; 

 the third pair (from outside) with the dusky grayish general color pass- 

 ing into white basally, more extensively on inner web; inner webs of 

 primaries with an extensive, well-defined "wedge" of white; bill, 

 legs, and feet black. 



Adult male. —\Ymg, 251-263 (257); tail, 147.5-164 (155.1); ex- 

 posed culmen, 39-41 (39.9); tarsus, 19-21 (20.2); middle toe, 22-23.5 

 (23)." 



Adult female. —Wing, 255-263 (258.8); tail, 150.5-174 (162.9); 

 exposed culmen. 38-40.5 (39.2); tarsus, 19.5-20.5 (20); middle toe, 

 22-24 (22.9).*' 



o See p. 487, 



b Six specimens. 



c Five specimens. 



Locality. 



Wing. 



Quo adult male from Bahamas (Booby Rock) 257 



Five adult males from Porto Rico (Desechio Island and Agi:a- 



diUa) 257 



Seven adult males from coast of Guerrero (S. a. nelsoni) i 267. 7 



Throe adult males from southern China Sea (S. o. anaetheta) ...\ 267. 5 



One adult male from '-Island of Candia " (S. a. ?) | 251 



One adult male from Mahe, Seychelles (S. a. antarctica) I 206 



Three adult females from Porto Rico (Desechio Island) I 257 



Two adult females from Tobago I 261. 5 



One adult female from coast of Guerrero (S. a. nelsoni) 260 



One adult female from olY coast of Central America (S.o.ncteom)-! 270 



Two adult females from southern China Sea (S. o. anxtheta) . . .i 265. 5 



One adult female from eastern Sumatra (.9. a. anarthefa) 1 263 



Tail. 



Ex- 

 posed, 

 calmen 



164 



153.3 



170 



173.2 



122 



141 



165 



162.2 



170 



169 



175.5 



176.5 



39.9 



42 



42.5 



37.5 



40 



39.5 



38.7 



40.5 



36 



39.7 



41 



Tarsus. 



Middle 

 toe. 



21 



20 



20.7 



21.5 



19 



18 



19.9 



20.2 



20 



20 



20 



21 



22.9 



23.8 



23.3 



20 



20.5 



23 



22.; 



23 



22.2 

 22 



