LARID.E — THE GULLS AND TERNS — STERNA. 289 



Hab. Atlantic coast of North America, north, irregularly, to Southern New England, breeding 

 south to Honduras ; West Indies in general ; both coasts of Central America. South to Brazil. 



Sp. Char. Very similar in size and form to <S'. elegans, but bill black, usually tipped with yel- 

 lowish or whitish. Adult, in spring: Pileum, including occipital crest and upper half of lores, 

 deep black ; upper parts pale pearl-gray, a shade lighter than in elegans; outer surface of primaries 

 slightly darker, with a silvery or hoary cast ; inner webs of primaries white, with a broad stripe of 

 dark grayish along the shaft. Rest of the plumage, including the nape, rump, upper tail-coverts, 

 and tail, snow-white. Bill deep black, tipped with yellow or whitish ; iris dark brown ; legs and 

 feet black. Adult, in winter: Similar, but the forehead and lores white, the crown streaked with 

 wdiite and black, and the black feathers of the occiput faintly tipped with white. Young, first 

 plumage: Upper half of the head, including nearly the whole of the lores, with upper part of the 

 nape, dusky black, irregularly mixed with dull whitish, especially on the crown, which is coarsely 

 spotted ; occipital feathers short and blended. Upper parts, including the rump, upper tail-ci iverts, 

 ami tail, pale pearl-gray, coarsely and irregularly spotted with brownish black ; wings, except 

 smaller coverts, as in the adult ; rectrices growing darker grayish terminally, where irregularly 

 spotted, or with irregular hastate marks of dusky black. Lower parts immaculate white. Bill 

 dusky blackish, scarcely paler at the tip ; iris dark brown ; legs and feet black. 



Total length, about 15.00 to 16.00 inches ; wing, 12.50 ; tail, 6.00, the depth of its fork, 2.35 ; 

 culmen, 2.25 ; depth of bill through base, .48 ; tarsus, 1.00 ; middle toe, about 1.00. 



As remarked by Dr. Coues ("Birds of the Northwest," p. 674), there appear to be constant 

 though slight differences between American and European birds of this species, which are quite 

 sufficient, if they prove really constant, to separate them as geographical races. These differences 

 are thus expressed by Dr. Coues : — 



"European : White margin of inner web of outer three or four primaries wide, extending quite 

 to tip, which it wholly occupies. Breadth of white portion one and a half inches from tip of first 

 primary, .25 of an inch." 1 



"American: White margin of inner web of three or four outer primaries narrow, falling short 

 of tip, which is wholly occupied by the black portion. Breadth of white margin one and a half 

 inches, from tip of first primary, .10 of an inch." 1 



The American examples of the Sandwich Tern, claimed by some to be a distinct 

 species, bear so strong a resemblance to the S. sandvicensis of Europe that the two are 

 no longer separated by some who have examined into the alleged differences in their 

 plumage. The European bird, so far as we know, is more nearly exclusively north- 

 ern in its area of reproduction. It was first observed in Great Britain in 1784, and 

 has since been ascertained to be a regular summer visitor, appearing in spring, and 

 departing in autumn after rearing its brood. It also visits Ireland, where its breed- 

 ing-haunts are not known. It is not abundant in England ; but it is known to breed 

 in various parts of that country, particularly on the Fame Islands and the Croquet 

 Islands, where — as Selby states — the nests are so close to each other that it is diffi- 

 cult to cross the ground without breaking the eggs or injuring the unfledged young. 

 It is there known as the " Tern " par excellence, all others of its kind being called Sea- 

 Swallows. Its flight is strong and rapid ; and, except when engaged in incubation, 

 it is almost constantly on the wing, uttering at intervals a hoarse and discordant cry, 

 which may be heard to a great distance. The eggs — three or four in number — are 



1 Sterna sandvicensis sandvicensis. — The Sandwich Tern. 



Sterna sandvicensis, Lath. Synop. Suppl. I. 1787, 296. 



Sterna cantiaca, Gmel. S. N. I. ii. 1788, 606 (exactly = S. sandvicensis, Lath.). — Saunders, 

 P. Z. S. 1876, 653. 



Sterna africana, Gmel. t. c. 605 (young). 



Sterna Boysii, Lath. Ind. Orn. II. 1790, 804 (= cantiaca, Gmel.). 



Sterna cancscens, Meyer & Wolf. Tasch. Deutsch. Viig. II. 1810, 458. 



Thahtswiis candicans, Breiim, Vog. Deutschl. 1S31, 777. 

 vol. ii. — 37 



