156 THE NATURALIST'S GUIDE. 



in having the forehead quite white; a few white feathers on 

 the back of the head ; the black is not quite as intense, or 

 more brownish. The feathers of the back are edged with 

 rufous. The shoulders are darker. The tail is not as 

 deeply forked, and the tips of the feathers are rufous. The 

 whole under parts are pure white. The white line from 

 the base of the bill is discontinued just in front of the eye, 

 and the portion occupied by it is quite dusky, almost black ! 

 The feet are dull orange. The bill is black, with the base 

 of the lower mandible orange. 



The S. hirundo differs from this species, in the adult stage, 

 in having the beak longer and more curved, with the color 

 bright orange, and the terminal portion always black. 

 The pearl gray of the upper and under parts is never as 

 deep, while the lower part of the back is always quite pale, 

 so that the white of the rump is not as abrupt in its com- 

 mencement. The throat and chin are always white, with- 

 out the ashy tinge. The feet are larger, the tarsi much 

 longer. The tarsi also lack the ridged transverse scales ; 

 they are smoother; the webs are also smooth; the color 

 is pale orange, never approaching the carmine of the 

 other. 



In the next stage there is more white on the head of 

 S. hirundo ; the bill is almost black ; the rump tinged with 

 ashy. 



Young-of-the-year birds are readily distinguished by the 

 rump of hirundo being ashy, the feet larger, the tarsi longer 

 with a smoother appearance. The bill is much the same 

 color, but in hirundo it is longer. It never has the dusky 

 appearance below the eye seen in macroura. 



276. Sterna paradisea — Roseate Tern. This, with 

 the two preceding species, is called the " Mackerel Gull " 

 on the more northern sections of the coast, while on the 

 south shore the two preceding are called "Te-arrs," from the 

 note ; this species is called " Hoyt " for the same reason. 



