566 



LARIDJ;. 



well, iu whose collection the specimen now is, and the 

 Editor, interviewed the local bird-stuffer, who stated that he 

 mounted it ' from the flesh,' and they were convinced of the 

 truth of his assertion ; the evidence is not, however, suffi- 

 ciently perfect to warrant the introduction of this species as a 

 British bird. Details are given in ' The Zoologist ' for 1877 

 (p. 213). In case the Smaller Sooty Tern should again 

 wander to our coasts, it may be distinguished from the Sooty 

 Tern by its somewhat smaller size, more prolonged white 

 eye-streak, paler and ash-brown upper parts, and less perfectly 

 webbed feet. Its geographical range is nearly identical with 

 that of its larger congener, but the two species are rarely, if 

 ever, found breeding in close proximity. There is a third 

 species, Sterna lunata, Peale, characterized by slate-grey 

 upper parts, which appears to be restricted to Polynesia ; 

 and Sterna aleutica of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska, 

 which has the head-pattern of the Sooty Terns, with the 

 long white tail of the Arctic and other typical species, forms 

 an interesting link between the two groups. 



