KEY TO THE WATER BIRDS OF FLORIDA. 1 95 



STERNA MAXIMA Bodd. 

 Royal Tern. 



Adult iji spring : Bill orange yel- 

 low; tail forked: crown and nape black ; 

 wings and back pearl gray, shading in 

 white on the rump and upper tail 

 coverts: outer primary abruptly 

 marked with white on inner por= 

 tion of inner web ; feet black. 



Adult in fall and winter: Forehead 

 and front of crown white : occiput and 

 nape black streaked with white ; edges 

 of eyelids black. 

 Length, 19; Wing, 14; Tail, 7*; Tarsus, 1.35: Bill, 2.60. 



Tropical America, occasionally wandering as far north as New England. 

 It is common in Florida, breeding in the State. It breeds commonly on the 

 middle Atlantic coast, having been found breeding in numbers on the coast of 

 Virginia. The eggs are two to four, dull white, mottled with chocolate brown. 

 Range : " Tropical America and warmer parts of North America northward 

 to Massachusetts, the Great Lakes, and California, west coast of Africa 

 north to Tangiers." (a.o.u.) 



STERNA SANDVICENSIS ACUFLAVIDA {Cabot). 

 Cabot's Tern. 



Adult in spring : Bill black, tipped with 



yellow ; cap black ; upper back (mantle) whit- 

 ish : rest of upper plumage pearl gray ; under 

 parts white, sometimes showing a faint rosy flush; 

 first primary edged with white to the tip, cover- 

 ing the entire inner web at the base and narrow- 

 / ing to an almost imperceptible line at the tip ; 



tail white, forked ; legs and feet black. 

 / /// winter the crown is white dotted with black. 



Length, 15.50; Wing, 10.50; Tail, 5.50; Bill, 

 2.10 ; Tarsus, .90. 



This species occurs in Florida 

 throughout the year, but is much more abundant in summer than in winter. 

 It breeds on both coasts of Florida ; the eggs are pale brownish white, 

 streaked and spotted with brown. 



Range : " Tropical America, northward along the Atlantic coast irregularly 

 to Southern New England." (a.o.u.) 



