56 



TERNS. 



sooty-black; the feathers of the tail are not wliite at base, 

 but the outer is Fig. 69- 



nearly white, 

 dark on terminal 

 portion of inner 

 web only; mid- 

 dle of inner web 

 of outer primari- 

 es, gray, and the 

 horns of lunette 

 extend only to 

 middle of eye, fig. 

 69. Young, sooty 

 brown throughout F^ C f . 2. 1-6. 



paler below ; wing coverts and scapularies narrowly but dis- 

 tinctly tipped with white. Cries, harsh; ordinary note, 

 ''^uank'\ repeated irregularly; alarm note, ''^u-ank'' rap- 

 idly repeated; also gives a harsh, snarling cry as a signal 

 for darting downward through the air. Flight, rather heavi- 

 er and less graceful than in 1. Eange, similar to 1 in gener- 

 al, but breeds commonly on the Tortugas Islands, Fla. and 

 occurs regularly, but rarely along the coast to S. C. and cas- 

 ually to N. E. Abundant. 



g. Short-tailed Terns. Hydrochelidon. 



Fig. 70. 



F, C, g, 1. 



Size small ; Mantle, deep 

 plumbeous ; bill, slender, 

 black or dark -brown ; tail, 

 shorter than tips of fold- 

 ed wings and but slightly 

 forked. Eggs 3, 4, averag- 

 ing darker than any others 

 in the family. 



AMERICAN BLACK 



TERN. H. SUEINAMKNSIS. 



Dark plumbeous above be- 

 coming sooty black on 

 nape, head, and wings ; 



