6. STERNA. 53 



Sterna antarctica, Peak, U.S. Expl. Evp. p. 280 (1848) [nee Lesson, 



nee Wagler, nee Forst^ ; Phil, et Landb. Cat. Av. Chil. p. 49 (1868). 

 Sterna wilsoni, Bunn. Syst. Ueb. iii. p. 451 (1856) ; Pelz. Orn. Bras. 



p. 325 (1871 : Eio de Janeiro). 

 Sterna meridionalis, Cassia {nee Brehm), U.S. E.vpl. Exp. p. 385 



(1858) ; Schleg. Mus. P.-Bas, Sternse, p. 15 (1863) ; Bias. J.f. 0. 



1866, p. 74. 

 Sterna cassinii, Scl. P. Z. S. 1860, p. 391 ; Abbott, Ibis, 1861, p. 166 ; 



Pelz. Reise Novara, Vo;/. p. 153 (1865 : Chiloe Island, Chile) ; 



Scl. ■^- Salv. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 570 (revision') ; Gray, Hand-l. B. iii. 



p. 118, no. 11025 (1871); Cimnintjh. Str. Mayell. pp. 74, 404 



(1871) ; Scl. ^- Salv. P. Z. S. 1873, p. 147 ; iid. Nomencl. Av. 



Neotrop. p. 147 (1873). 

 ? Sterna vii'gata, Pagenstecher, Ber. Naturhist. Mus. zu Hamburg, 



1884, p. 25 (1885), and Neumayer, Deutsch. Ecped. Bd. ii. p. 265 



(1890: South Georgia Is.). 



Adult in hreeding-'plumage. Forehead, greater part of lores, 

 «rown, and nape black, bordered by a white streak from the gape 

 backwards ; hind neck and mantle pale pearl-grey, the secondaries 

 and upper primaries broadly margined with white; rump and tail- 

 feathers white, with a grey tinge on the outer webs ; underparts 

 pale pearl-grey, passing into white on the vent : iris black ; bill 

 and legs vcrmilion-red. Total length 16-16".5 inches, culmen 1"75, 

 wing 11-8, tail 7, depth of fork about 4, tarsus 0-8, middle toe with 

 claw 1*1 ; webs a trifle more indented than in >S'. vittata, and nails 

 longer. 



Adult in lulnter. Forehead and crown mottled with white, and 

 underparts nearly white, but the eclipse only lasts a short time. 



Immature. Similar to above, but with more grey on the tail- 

 feathers, and the outer webs of the primaries are darker grey. 



Young birds show a conspicuous brownish bar along the upper 

 wing-coverts *, and the mantle is spangled and barred with blackish- 

 brown and white (warm buff in fledglings) : bill blackish, feet 

 reddish yellow. 



Nestling, Upper parts olive-brown, thickly mottled with umber ; 

 throat nearly black, remaining underparts dull white : " feet 

 orange " {J. Young). 



Hah. South America — on the East side from Bahia downwards, 

 breeding from Rio de Janeiro to the Straits of Magellan, the Falk- 

 land Islands, the South Georgia and South Shetland Islands, and 

 the land to the south of Cape Horn ; on the West side, up to 

 Chimbote, Peru. Breeds in large colonies. 



rt.Jiiv.sk. 'B&\i\a.,'ErAZ\\ {Dr. Luschiiath). Salvin-Godman Coll. 



b. Imm. sk. Bahia, Brazil {Dr. Wueherer). H. Saunders CoU. 



c-f. 2 ad.; q, Rio de Janeiro, July-Aug. H. Saunders Coll. 



'h, i. S 2 juv. {H. M. Harrison, R.N.). 

 sk. 



* The afRnities of <S. hintndiiiacca are, on the whole, with the three pre- 

 ceding species, but the breadth of the band on the upper wing-coverts of the 

 young bird indicates an approach to S.Jltiviafilis and allies, of the Northern 

 hemisphere. 



