312 LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS — LONGIPENNES. 



New Jersey ; North Carolina ; Georgia ; the Tortugas ; and San Diego, Cal. The 

 number found in a nest varies from one to four ; but the last number is rarely found, 

 and probably the same parent never deposits more than three eggs — perhaps not 

 more than two. The ground-color is a very uniform shade of light buff, becoming 

 paler with age. The spots are for the most part small, evenly distributed, colored 

 a lavender-gray and burnt umber. Four eggs in my own collection, from Tuckernuk, 

 measure 1.20 by .90 inches; 1.25 by .90; 1.21 by .91; 1.23 by .94. A few in the 

 Smithsonian Collection measure 1.30 by 1.00. The smallest length is 1.20, and the 

 least breadth .91. In some descriptions the ground-color of these eggs is spoken of 

 as being a greenish white ; but I have never found any with the least tinge of thct 

 color. In most examples the spots are small and evenly distributed; occasionally 

 they are in large blotches, and in a few instances they form a confluent ring. 



Sterna fuliginosa. 



THE SOOTY TEKN. 



Sterna fuliginosa, Gmf.l. S. N. I. ii. 1788, 605. — Wils. Am. Orn. VIII. 1814, 145, pi. 72, fig. 7. — 

 Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 284. — Aui>. Orn. Biog. III. 1835, 263 ; V. 1839, 641, pi. 235 ; Synop. 

 1839, 317 ; B. Am. VII. 1844, 90, pi. 432. — Lawk, in Baud's B. N. Am. 1858, 861. — B.ukd, 

 Cat. N. Am. B. 1S59, no. 688. — Coues, Check List, 1873, no. 573 ; 2d ed. 1882, no. 804. — 

 Saunders, P. Z. S. 1S76, 666. — Kidgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 691. 



Sterna (Haliplana) fuliginosa, Coues, Key, 1S72, 322; B. N. W. 1S74, 698. 



Sh rna scrrala, FonsT. Descr. An. ed. Licht. 1S44, 276. 



Sterna guttata, Forst. t. e. 211 (young). 



Annus t ffermenieri, Less. Descr. Mam. et Ois. 1S47, 255 (young). 



Sterna Gouldii, Reich, (fide Gk \y). 



Sterna luctuosa, Phil. & Landb. Wiegm. Archiv, 1866, 126. 



Sterna fuliginosa, var. crissalis, " Baikd," Lawk. Pr. Bost. Soc. 1871, 285 (Socorro I.). 



Hab. Intertropical and subtropical coast-regions, completely round the globe. In America, 

 south to Chili, north, regularly to the Carolinas and Western Mexico ; casually to Pennsylvania. 

 Massachusetts, and Vermont. 



Sp. Char. Adult: Forehead and upper part of the lores white, this color extending back 

 laterally to the middle of the upper eyelid ; a broad stripe across the lores (growing gradually 



/ 





narrower anteriorly), auricular region, crown, occiput, nape (broadly), and entire upper parts, 

 fuliginous black, the outer pair of rectrices white, with the inner webs growing gradually blackish 

 terminally. Entire lower parts, including axillars ami lining of the wing, white, sometimes faintly 

 tinged posteriorly with pale bluish gray. Pill deep black; "iris chestnut'' (Audubon) ; feet 

 black. Young, first plumage : Dark fuliginous, more dusky grayish below ; lining of t lie wing, and 



