BIRDS — STERNINAE STEKNA PIKEI. 



863 



Sp. Cii. — Jldull. Upper part, and sides of the head to a line just below the eye, and hind neck, black ; back and wings bluish 

 gray ; primaries grayish white on the outer webs, and dusky gray on the inner next the shaft, and over the entire web at the 

 end, darker on the inner margin, the remaining portion of mncr webs white ; tail bluish gray, except the outer web of the 

 outer tail feather which is white, the inner web of tliis feather blackish gray for about two Indies from the end ; rump wliite 

 with a sliirbt tinge of pale bluish gray ; sides of the liead, lliroat, and entire under surface, white; in the dried specimens the bill 

 is orange yellow at the base, black near the end, with the tip pale yellow ; legs and feet scarlet. 



Iiength of skin 14 inches ; wing, 10^ ; tail, 6 ; bill, Ij ; tarsus, J. 



liab Louisiana to Florida ; New York, fur countries, and California. 



Three specimens are in the collection. 



It is distinguished from S. loilsoni by having the outer web of the exterior tail feather white, 

 and the end of the inner web dusky gray, the reverse of wilsoni ; the tarsi are also uniformly 

 longer, as in five specimens now before me. 



List of specimens. 



STERNA PARADISEA, Briinnich. 



The Roseate Tern. 



Sicrnaporodisea, Brunn. Orn. Bor 1764, 46. 



Sterna dougallii, Nutt. Man. II, 1834, 278.— Ann. Orn. Biog. Ill, 1835, 296.— Ib. Birds. Am. VII, 1844, 112 ; pi. 

 ccccxxxvii. 



Sp. Ch. — Adult. Upper part of the head and long occipital feathers deep black ; hind neck white ; back and wings pale bluish 

 gray ; first primary blackish gray on the outer web and on the inner next the shaft ; the otiier primaries bluisli gray, the second 

 and third dusky gray near the shaft ; all the primaries white on the inner part of their inner webs ; secondaries and tertiaries 

 edged with white ; tail very light pearl gray ; entire under plumage white, with a beautiful roseate tinge ; bill brownisli black, 

 orange at the base ; iris brown ; legs and feet vermilion. 



Length, 16 inches ; wing, 9? ; tail, 8 ; bill, H ; tarsus, 13-16. 



i/a6.— Florida to New York. 



Specimens in my cabinet and that of Prof. Baird. 



STERNA PIKEI, Lawrence. 



Tbe Slender-billed Tern. 



Sterna pikei, Lawr. Annals N. Y. Lyceum, VII, 1853, 3. 



Sp. Ch. — Adult. Front white speckled with dark gray ; crown and occiput black ; back and wings bluish gray ; smaller 

 wing coverts dark plumbeous ; outer web of the first primary brownish black, inner web next the shaft dusky gray, with the 

 inner margin while ; the other primaries are dark bluish gray on the outer webs and on the inner next the shaft, als j at the end 

 of the inner web ; inner webs of all the tail feathers white, the outer webs of the long lateral tail feathers grayish black with 

 the tip white, outer webs of the others very pale gray ; throat, upper tail coverts and whole under plumage, white ; bill dark 

 brown tinged with dark red (probably deep carmine in the living bird) ; legs and feet orange. 



Length, 13 inches ; wing, 9 ; tail, Sj ; bill, Ij ; tarsus, j. 



Hab. — Coast of California. 



One specimen in my cabinet. 



