STERNA ANGLIC A. 



U 



ORDER XVII. LONGIPENNES. LONG-WINGED BIRDS. 



Wings, very long. Tail, short. Legs, moderatelli/ long ivilh anterior toes webbed. 

 Hind toe, short and elevated. 



The bill is viiriablo in form, either curved, pointed, or laterally flattened. Slernuui, 

 longer than wide, with keel equalling one half its width or higher. Marginal indenta- 

 tions, four or absent. Coracoids, longer than width of sternum. Furcula, well arciied 

 and approximating closely to tip of keel which is projected forward. Sterno-trachealis, 

 present. There is a small broncliialis but no other laryngeal muscles. Oesophagus, straight 

 without dilatation. Proventriculus, not very large, with glands arranged in a zonular l)and. 

 Stomach, rather muscular. Coeca, short. Sexes, similar. 



FAMLY I. LARID^. THE GULLS AND TERNS. 



Bill, general I ij shorier than head, curved, pointed, or jiatkned lateralbj. Hind tue, 

 usually present. Marginal indentations, four. Keel, not perforated. 



Members of this family are closely feathered, possess the power of swimmin<;-, and also 

 move with ease upon the ground. The young are covered with down at birth and run as 

 soon as hatched, but are fed by the parents until able to fly. 



(iENUS I. STERNA. THE TERNS. 

 Gen'. Cu. Bill, ahnut as lonij as head, ami pointed. Toes, wcl)bed nearly, or quite, (o tips. Leys, short. Tail, lon<j 

 and deeply forked . 



Members of this genus are generally very liglU in colnr. Sexes, similar. There are ten species within our limits. 



STERNA ANGLICA. 



Marsh Tern. 



Sterna anylica JIoxt.. Orn. Diit. Sup., 1813. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Si'. Cii. Form, robust. Size, large. Bill, short and rather thick. Color. AduH. Above, pale bluish-asli. Outer 



webs of primaries, hoary, inner, ashy-gray, becoming lighter toward base. Outer tail feathers, nearly white. Top of head 



to Iciwcr eyelid and occijiut, black. Line at base of upper mandible and under part^, i)ure white. Iris, brown, bill and 



feet, black. In winter, the anterior ptjrtiun of head becomes more or less white. 



OBSERVATIONS. 

 Known by the large size, thick black bill and feet, nearly white outer tail feathers, and hoary primaries. Distribu- 

 ted, in summer, from New Jersey, southward. Rare in New England. Winters south .)f the United States. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Average measurements of specimens from North America. Length, 13"5; stretch, 34-00; wing, II'IS. tail. 5'25;bill, 

 I '30; tarsus, 1-25. Longest specimen, 14'50 ; greatest extent of wing, 35'CO, longest wing, 12-50; tail, 5 5(1: bill, r40-. tarsus, 

 I'SO. Shortest specimen, 13'00; smallest extent of wing, 33'00; shortest wing, 1175; tail, 5'00; bill, I 20; tarsus, rao. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND ECJGS. 

 Eggs, placed on the ground in saudy places, three or four in number, oval in form, and varying from yellowish-buff 

 to greenish in color, spotted and blotched with yellowish-brown and lilac. Dimensions from 130 x 175 to P40 x P80. 



Fig 3. Least Tern, Sterna antillari'm; A, bill uf adult: N, head of downy young; Y, bill of same 

 enlarged to' show the egg tooth T, possessed by all uewly hatched ba-ds, and is used to break the egg shelL 



