GULL-BILLED TERN. 523 



grey; chin, throat, breast, belly, and all the under 

 surface white; legs, toes, membranes, and claws blagk. 

 The whole length of the bird figured from and described, 

 is fifteen inches and a half ; wing from the wrist thirteen 

 inches. 



I have seen two or three specimens of the adult bird 

 killed in winter ; the head is then white. 



A young bird of the year, measuring thirteen inches, 

 has the bill bluish-black ; head on the top dull white, 

 varied with pale brown and dusky streaks; on the ear- 

 coverts a spot of greyish-black ; neck all round white ; 

 back, scapulars, and tertials orange brown, spotted with 

 darker brown ; wing-coverts ash grey, tipped with pale 

 orange brown ; primaries pearl grey ; tail but little forked ; 

 chin, neck, and all the under surface of the body white. 



