40 SORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



paler (nearlj* white) on upper tail-coverts and tail ; wholo 

 top of head, including occipital crest, glossy black ; rest of 

 plumage pure white ; bill deep orange, feet blackish. Adult 

 just after pairing season : Similar, but forehead and forepart 

 of crown white, only the occipital crest and hinder part of 

 crown being uniform black. Winter plumage : Similar to 

 summer plumage, but black of occiput also mixed more or 

 less with white, and bill paler orange. Young : Somewhat 

 like winter adult, but upper parts sparsely spotted with 

 dusky brown, these spots largest on tertials; tail-feathers 

 brownish or dusky near tips ; top of head speckled white 

 and dusky, the occipital crest but slightly developed; bill 

 dull orange. Length 18.00-21.00, wing 14.00-15.00, tail 

 6.00-8.00, forked for about half its total length ; culmen 

 2.40-2.75, depth of bill at base .G5-.75, tarsus 1.35-1.45. 

 Nest (usually many together) a depression in sand, near 

 sea-shore. Eggs 1-3 or 4, 2.61 X 1-78, ovate, elongate- 

 ovate, or subacute-ovate, buffy, cream-color, or whitish, 

 handsomely spotted (sometimes lined) with dai-k brown or 

 black, these markings usually suffused exteriorly with light 

 brown and purplish gray. Hab. Coasts and larger inland 

 waters of United States, and southward, breeding north to 



about 40° 65. S. maxima Bodd. Royal Tern. 



e''. Depth of bill at base less than one-fourth (about one-fil'th) the 

 length of the exposed culmen ; plumage same as that of S. 

 viaxima, but lower parts very deeply tinged with rose-, or 

 peach-blossom, pink, and occipital crest more developed ; 

 length about 16.00-17.00, wing 12.40-12.50, tail 6.60-7.30, 

 forked for about 2.60-3.50 ; culmen 2.25-2.55, depth of bill 

 through base .45-.50, tarsus 1.05-1.25. Eggs 2.15 X 1-45, 

 ovate, creamy white, boldly spotted (chicflj' round larger 

 end) with black and various shades of rich warm brown. 

 Hab. Pacific coast of Middle America, north to San Fran- 

 cisco, California 66. S. elegans Gamb. Elegant Tern. 



d}. Bill deep black, usually with yellowish or whitish tip ; plumage 

 the same as in S. maxima and S. elegans, but usually less pinkish 

 beneath than the latter; length 14.00-16.00, wing about 12.50, 

 tail 6.00 (forked for about 2.35), culmen 2.25, depth of bill at 

 base .48, tarsus 1.00. Nest a depression in sand by sea-shore. 

 Eggs 1.99 X 1-38, ovate, white, buffy, or rich cream-color, 

 handsomcl}' but variously marked (often with zigzag lines) ' 

 with different shades of rich brown, black, etc. Hab. South 

 Atlantic and Gulf coasts of United States, north to southern 

 New England ; south, in winter, to "West Indies and Middle 

 America (both coasts). 



67. S. sandvicensis acuflavidus (C.\bot). Cabot's Tern. 



