STERNA HIRUNDO Lixx. 



26. Common Tern. (70) 



Bill, red, Ijlaekeniiig on the terminal tliird, the verj' point usually light; 

 feet, coral red ; mantle, pearly grayish-blue ; primary shafts white, except at the 

 end ; below white, washed with pale pearly ^ilumljeous Idanching on throat and 

 lowei' belly; tail mostly white, the outer web of the outer feather darkei' than 

 inner web of the same. Length of male, 14i (13-16) ; extent, 31 (29-32) ; wing, 

 10^ (9f-ll|); tail, 6 (5-7); tarsus, a (%-i)\ bill. H-U. ; whole foot, averaging Ifj 

 female rather less, averaging towai'd these minima ; young Ijiruls may show a 

 little smaller, in length of tail particularly, and so of total length; length, 12 or 

 more; wing, 9 or more; tail, 4 or more; bill, I5 or more. In winter this 

 species does not apjieai' to lose the black-cap, contrary to a nearly universal 

 rule. YoiuKj : — Bill mostly dusky, but much of the under inandil>le yellowish ; 

 feet simply yellowish ; cap more or less defective ; Imck and wings patched and 

 barred with gray and light lirown, the bluish showing imperfectly if at all, but 

 this color shading much of the tail ; usually a blackish bar along the lesser 

 coverts, and several tail feathers dusky on the o;(/r/- web: )»elo\\-, pure « iiite, or 

 with very little plumbeous shade. 



Hab. — Greater part of northern hemisphere and Africa. In North America 

 chiefly confined to the Eastern Province, breeding from the Arctic coast, some- 

 what irregularly, to Florida and Texas, and wintering farther south. 



Eggs, two or three, deposited in a hollow in the sand, light brown, tinged 

 with jireen and blotched with dark brown and lilac of various shades. 



