﻿310 Mr. E. Hartert on the Birds of 



The North-American birds were formerly called Sterna 

 wilsoni, but they are absolutely identical with European 

 ones. 



37. Sterna antillarum, Less. 



Common on Aruba and Bonaire in places where a sandy 

 beach offers them good breeding-grounds. I believe they had 

 laid their eggs on Aruba at the end of June, but I did not 

 find any. At the end of July I found half- and full-grown 

 young ones. In coloration the young bird is similar to that 

 of S. minuta, and therefore requires no description. 



Iris deep brown ; bill yellow, with black tip ; feet 

 yellow. 



38. Sterna dougalli, Mont. 



Cf. Sterna dougalli gracilis, Cory, Cat. W. Ind. B. pp. 82 

 & 135 (1892). 



There w r as a large breeding- place of this Tern on the coral- 

 reef on the coast of Aruba. The eggs are always three in 

 number ; they are deposited on the sand and on the green 

 shore-plants which often cover the soil. The eggs vary to 

 the same extent as those of Sterna hirundo and S.paradisea 

 and other species of the family. The skins are in plumage 

 identical with those from Mexico and other parts of the 

 West Indies. Iris dark brown ; bill blackish, basal half 

 more or less orange-red ; feet bright red. If there is no 

 other character to distinguish Sterna dougalli gracilis but the 

 colour of the bill, my birds might belong to that subspecies. 



39. Sterna an^estheta, Scop. 



A good many of this species were found breeding on the 

 coral-reef off Cero Colorado on Aruba, at the same place 

 where S. dougalli had its eggs. The eggs, however, were 

 always laid in a corner under bushes, or under a stone or 

 shell, and never placed so openly as these of S. dougalli. 

 We found only one egg in each nest, and altogether not 

 more than ten ; they were all more or less set. Wlien 

 flying overhead the underpart of the wing and abdomen of 

 this bird appeared beautifully tinged with greenish blue, 

 while in the living S. dougalli the delicate peach -blossom 

 [22] 



