﻿38 
  Occurrence 
  of 
  the 
  Caspian 
  Tern 
  in 
  North 
  America. 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  S. 
  Caspius, 
  from 
  Europe, 
  in 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  the 
  Phila. 
  

   Academy, 
  and 
  on 
  comparing 
  the 
  two, 
  was 
  satisfied 
  of 
  their 
  

   identity. 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  an 
  interesting 
  addition 
  to 
  onr 
  ornithology, 
  being 
  

   the 
  largest 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  found 
  in 
  Europe 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  

   United 
  States. 
  

  

  The 
  geographical 
  distribution 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  very 
  ex- 
  

   tended. 
  It 
  was 
  first 
  found 
  by 
  Pallas 
  near 
  the 
  Caspian 
  Sea, 
  

   from 
  which 
  it 
  receives 
  its 
  name 
  ; 
  since 
  in 
  different 
  parts 
  of 
  

   Europe 
  ; 
  also 
  at 
  the 
  Cape 
  of 
  Good 
  Hope 
  ; 
  and 
  now 
  in 
  North 
  

   America. 
  

  

  Adult 
  male 
  — 
  Bill 
  very 
  stout, 
  carmine 
  red, 
  paler 
  at 
  the 
  

   point 
  ; 
  forehead, 
  toff 
  and 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  and 
  the 
  nape 
  of 
  the 
  

   neck 
  greenish 
  black, 
  which 
  color 
  extends 
  below 
  the 
  eye 
  ; 
  a 
  

   narrow 
  white 
  line 
  runs 
  under 
  the 
  eye 
  for 
  nearly 
  its 
  entire 
  

   length 
  ; 
  back 
  and 
  wings 
  light 
  bluish 
  ash 
  ; 
  the 
  six 
  outer 
  pri- 
  

   maries 
  dark 
  slate 
  gray 
  on 
  their 
  inner 
  webs 
  ; 
  the 
  outer 
  web 
  of 
  

   the 
  first 
  quill 
  feather 
  is 
  white 
  beneath 
  for 
  most 
  of 
  its 
  length, 
  

   those 
  of 
  the 
  others 
  greyish 
  white 
  ; 
  shafts 
  strong 
  and 
  white 
  : 
  

   upper 
  tail 
  coverts 
  and 
  tail, 
  greyish 
  white 
  and 
  but 
  little 
  forked 
  ; 
  

   neck 
  all 
  round 
  and 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  under 
  plumage 
  pure 
  

   white 
  ; 
  legs 
  and 
  feet 
  black. 
  In 
  winter, 
  the 
  head 
  becomes 
  

   mostly 
  white, 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  change 
  from 
  the 
  summer 
  plu- 
  

   mage. 
  

  

  The 
  white 
  line 
  under 
  the 
  eye, 
  and 
  the 
  green 
  reflection 
  on 
  

   the 
  head, 
  are 
  not 
  noticed 
  in 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  English 
  works 
  I 
  have 
  

   seen, 
  although 
  they 
  exist 
  in 
  the 
  European 
  specimens 
  examined. 
  

  

  Total 
  length 
  21\ 
  inches 
  ; 
  alar 
  extent 
  51 
  in. 
  ; 
  wing 
  from 
  

   flexure 
  I64 
  in. 
  ; 
  bill 
  from 
  base 
  2' 
  in. 
  ; 
  from 
  corner 
  of 
  the 
  mouth 
  

   4 
  in. 
  ; 
  depth 
  at 
  base 
  I 
  in. 
  ; 
  from 
  prominent 
  angle 
  on 
  lower 
  

   mandible 
  to 
  point 
  \\ 
  in. 
  ; 
  tarsus 
  I4 
  in. 
  ; 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw 
  

   W 
  in. 
  ; 
  tail 
  6 
  inches. 
  

  

  The 
  above 
  description 
  is 
  taken 
  from 
  Mr. 
  Pike's 
  specimen^ 
  

   v;hich 
  is 
  in 
  remarkably 
  fine 
  plumage. 
  

  

  