766 SYSTEM A TIC SYN OP SIS. — L ONGIPENNES — GA VI^. 



from feathers of side of lower mandible to tip 1.40; gape 1.90; gonys 0.75. A beautiful 

 species, easily recognized by points of size and form, aside from color ; this varies much with 

 age and season, giving rise to many nominal species; among American synonyms are S. pikei 

 Lawr., S. longipennis Coues, S. portlandica llidg. Europe, Asia, Africa; N. Am. at large, 

 northerly ; breeds from Massachusetts northward ; S. to Middle States and California, and 

 prt>bably farther. Eggs 2-3, not distinguishable from those of the two foregoing species, 

 but averaging smaller. 



800. S. dou'galii. (To Dr. McDougall. Fig. 511.) Roseate Tern. Paradise Tern. Adult in 

 breeding plumage : Bill about as long as head or foot, straight, slender, compressed, very acute; 

 gonys longer than rami, former straight, latter concave in outline, with acute but not 

 prominent angle between them. Wings shorter than usual, 1st primary little longer than 

 next, all rounded. Tail exceedingly long and deeply forked, with very narrow filamentous 

 outer feathers. Tibiae slightly denuded ; tarsus a little shorter than middle toe and claw. 

 Whole form trim and elegant. Bill black, the extreme point yellowish, the base for a little 

 distance, and inside of mouth, red. Feet bright yellowish-red ; claws black. Cap lustrous 

 black, very ample, reaching to lower border of eyes ; under eyelid white, as is a streak to end 

 of feathers on bill. Neck all around and entire under parts snowy white, tinted with lovely 

 rose-pink. Mantle delicate pale pearly, over all the upper pai-ts from the neck, including 

 rump and base of tail, fading however to white on tips of tertials and inner webs of secondaries. 

 Long taU-feathers w'hite, with a faint pearly tint. Primaries grayish-black, strongly silvered 

 wlien fresh ; outer web of the first blackish ; inner webs of all pure white for more than half 

 their breadth, this white stripe broadest on the first, toward the base of which it occupies the 

 whole web, and on all of them continued to and usually around the very tips ; shafts of all 

 the quills white both sides nearly to end. Adult in winter : Bill dull black, with yellowish 

 tip and brown base. Forehead and cheeks white ; crown, hind-head, nape, and sides of head, 

 brownish-black, mixed with white on vertex. No rosy tint. Lesser coverts along edge of 

 fore-arm brownish. Tail without much elongation or forking, and pearly like the back. 

 Young, newly fledged: BiU small, weak, slender, greenish-black, hardly 1.10; wings like 

 those of adults. Tail merely forked an inch or so, pearly-blue on outer webs, almost white 

 on inner, with subterminal edging of blackish. General color of upper parts light pearly- 

 blue, variegated on most parts with a delicate mottling of black and buff, the black chiefly 

 in narrow zig-zag cross-bars, broken by the fawn-color ; on the wings the variegation in 

 larger pattern, the feathers mostly black with yellowish border. Forehead and cheeks soft 

 light grayish -brown, resolved on crown and hind-head into streaks of blackish and tawny, 

 lost again in blackish on the nape. A silvery-white spot before and above eye ; eye sur- 

 rounded by black. A baud of black along edge of forearm, where some of the feathers have 

 yellowish tips. Under parts pure white, a little obscured with gray on the breast. Length 

 of adult 14.00-15.00; extent about 30.00; wing 9.25-9.75; tail 7.00-S.OO, forked 3.50-4.50; 

 bill along culmen 1.50; height at base 0.35 ; length of gonys 1.00, of mandibular rami 0.75; 

 tibia? bare 0.40 ; tarsus 0.85 ; middle toe and claw 1.00. This exquisite species inhabits 

 Europe, etc., and in N. Am. is known to occur along the whole extent of the Atlantic and 

 Gulf States, in various W. I. Islands, and C. Am. ; breeds apparently throughout its range, 

 wintering extralimital. Eggs as in other beach species. 



801. S. supercilia'ris antilla'rum. (Lat. super ciliaris, relating to the eyebrow, i. e. to the white 

 frontal crescent; Antillarum, of the AntOles.) Least Tern. Much smaller than any of 

 the foregoing; length about 9.00; extent 20.00; wing 6.60; taU 3.50, forked 1.75; bill 

 along culmen 1.20; depth at base 0.28; tarsus 0.60; middle toe and claw 0.75. Young 

 smaller; length 8.50; wing 6.25; tail 3.00; biU 1.00. Tail moderately forked, the lateral 

 feathers scarcely filamentous, rapidly narrowing to acute tip. Bill about as long as head, 

 rather shorter than whole foot, yellow tipped with black for \-\ inch. Cap glossy greenish- 



