LARID.E— THE GULLS AND TERXS. 243 



Subgenus ACTOCHELIDON Kaup. 



A ctochelidon Kaup, Sk. Ent. Eur. Thierw. 1829, 31. Type, Sterna canliaca Gmel.,= 

 S. sanaoicensis Gmel. 



Subgen. Chae. Next to Thalasseus the largest of the Terns. Tail more than half as 

 long as the wing, forked for at least half its length; feathers of occiput lengthened, pointed, 

 lorming a distinct crest; depth of bi 1 at base much less than one third the length of ex- 

 posed culmen; inner webs of primaries bicolored (dusky or slaty next to shaft, white along 

 edge). 



Sterna maxima Bodd. 



ROYAL TERN. 



Popular synonyms. Gannet, or Gannet Striker, (Coast of Virginia); Redshanks (Florida*); 



Gaviota (Mexico). 

 La Grande Hirondelle de Mer, de Cayenne Buff. Ois. viii, 316. 

 HirondeVe de Mer, de Cayenne, Buff. PL Enl. 988. 

 Sterna maxima Bodd. Tabl. 'P. E. 1783, 58 (ex PI. Enl. 988).— Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1871, 



567 (critical).-SAUNDERS. P. Z. S. 1878, 655 (do.).— Coues, 2d Check List. 1882. No. 791.— 



B. B. & R. Water B. N. Am. ii, 1881, 281. -A. O. U. Check List, 1886, No. 65— Ridgw. 



Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 40. 

 Sterna cayennensis Gmel. S. N. i, pt. ii, 1788,604. 

 Sterna cay ana Lath. Ind. Orn. ii, 1790, 801, No. 2.— Nutt. Man. ii, 1831, 268.— Aud. Orn. 



Biog. iii, 1835, 505; v, 1839, 639. pi. 273; Synop. 1839, 316; B. Am. vii, 1844, 76, pi. 429. 

 Sterna galericulata Licht. Verz. Doubl. 1823, 81 (typj in Berlin Mus. ; determined by 



H. S.). 

 Sterna erythrorhynchus Wied, Beitr. iv, 1833, 857. 



Sterna cristata Swains. B. W. Afr. ii, 1837, 247. pi. 30 (type in Cambridge Mus.; ex- 

 amined by H. S.). 

 Sterna regia Gamb. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1818. 228.— Lawk, in Baird's B. N. Am. 



1858. 859.— Baied, Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 683,-Coues, Key, 1872, 319; Check List, 



1873, No. 562.— Ridgw. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 681. 

 Thalasseus regius Gamb. Journ. A^ad. Nat. Sci. Phila. i,2d ser. 1819,223.— Coues, Proc. 



Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1862, 539 (critical). 

 Sterna {Thalasseus) regia Coue3, B. N. W. 1871. 669. 

 "Sterna bergii" Irbt, Orn. Str. Gibr. 1875, 209 (specimen examined by H. S.). Not S. 



bergii, LiCHT. 182S. 



Hab. Tropical and warm-temperate parts of America, north to Long Island, Massa- 

 chusetts Great Lakes, Utah (?), Nevada (?), and co ist of California; South to Brazil and 

 Peru. West coast of Africa, north to Tangiers (Dalgleish, "Auk," January, 1884. p. '.'7). 



8p. Chae. Nearly as large as S. tschegrava. Bill deep orange-red or orange. Tail 

 quite deeply forked. Adult, in spring: Entire pileum, Including ooolpital 'nest and upper 

 half of tiio lores, deep black. Upper parts pale pearl-gray (about as in 8. tschegrava), be- 

 coming whito on the rump and upper tail-ooverts. Tail grayish white, tinged with pearl- 

 gray. Outer webs of primaries pale silvery gray, the outer quill darker; inner webB slaty 

 In a broad stripe next the shaft, the Inner portion abruptly white, the dusky extending an- 

 teriorly near the Inner edge of the web, except on the outer quill, is ill deep orange-red; 

 iris dark brown; legs and feet deep bla %er: Similar, but the forehead, 



loros. ami fore part of or own white. Bill uniform deep orange-ohrome, paler at tip; edges 

 of eyelids blaok; iris dark brown; legs and feet deep blaok. Adult, in winter: "Young of 



'Fide W. E. D. Scott, in The Auk, Oot., 1890 But why?) 



