754 THE ARCTIC TERN. 



No. 302. 



ARCTIC TERN. 



A. C). U. No. 71. Sterna paradisaea lliiinn. 



Synonyms. — Takaiusf, ']'i';u.\. Crims(in-i'.ill1':i> 'I'i'.r.n. Pcirti.am) Tkux. 



Description. — .Idiilt in brccdiiHj phiinaijc: Outer pair of tail-feathers and 

 black of head as in preceding: iip|)erparls dee]i pearl gray, the secondaries, rec- 

 trices, feathers of riniijx and upper tail-coverts, ti|)]>ed with white in strong 

 contrast; imderparts deep lavender-gray, clearing to white only on lower tail- 

 coverts and on sides of head adjacent to lilack caii; bill carmine, simietiiues faintly 

 tipped with blackish: feet rich carmine. Adult in zcinter plumage: Similar, hut 

 under])arts white, or tinged with grayish; forehead, fore-crown, and lores, 

 anteriorly, white; crown posteriorly streakeil or mottled with blackish. Im- 

 niaturc: "( )rhital region, occiput, and hind part cif crown iluU lilack; forehead, 

 anterior ])art of lores, and crown wdiite, the latter stained with brown and mixed 

 with blackish ; feathers of dorsal region and wings ti])ped with pale buff and 

 marked with subterminal crescent or lunnle of brownish dusky, these markings 

 larger on tertials and longer sca]ndars, and smaller on back ; lower rump, upper 

 tail-coverts, and entire lower parts, white, the chin, throat, and sides of jugulum 

 and breast, stained with ]>ale dull brownish; basal half of hill dull orange-red, 

 terminal portion blackish; feet light re<lilish" (Ridgway). Length of adult; 

 14.00-17.00 ( 335.(>-43i.8) ; wing 10.00-10.75 1254-27.^11: tail 6.50-8.50 ( 165.1- 

 215.9 ), forked for 4.00-5.00 ( loi. 6-127 ' • '•'" '-.i*^' ' .v> ' • t^irsus .55-.65 ( 14-16.5). 



Recognition Marks. — Size of preceding; tail more deeply forked, its outer 

 feathers gracefully streaming; l)ill usuallv ])in'e carmine. 



Nesting. — Not kni>wn In breed in Washington. Xcst and F.ijiis much as in 

 preceding species. 



General Range. — Coasts of both hemispheres during migrations, summering 

 in the northern hemisphere, chiell\ in the .Arctic regions, but breeding in North 

 America from Massachusetts and r.ritish Columbia northward; \\intering chiefly 

 in Antarctica but also along both coasts of North America. 



Range in Washington. — Probably common, coastwise, diu'ing migrations. 

 (Apparently no si)ecimens of this species have been taken in Washington, and it 

 has not been clearly distinguished from .S". liiruudoj. 



Migrations. — Sprint/: May? Fall: vSei)tember I I'.laine). 



Authorities. ^^ Keck, \\'ilsiin bulletin Xo. 47, June l<)04. p. .^4 ("Common 

 summer resilient" ) . 



Specimens. — Prov. 



A LlTTl.l''. more gracefid, if possible, llum the Common 'JV-rn, the year- 

 Iv passing and re-]iassing of this species ought to occasion conmient. As it 

 stand.s. howe\'ei", we hesitate In record it at .all. since its status rests solely upon 

 specimens seen b\- Mr. Keck and myself. We kudw that the bii'd nnist cross 

 our borders, since i) breeds ii]mmi tlie -\rclic coasts in immense numbers, but it 



