298 NEW- YORK FAUNA — BIRDS. 



from Texas to New-Jersey ; and although common enough with us, I have not ascertained 

 whether it breeds on the coast of New- York. Feeds on fish, crabs and small shells. Eggs 

 3-4, white, with brown blotches of two shades. It ranges from the equator to 40° north 

 latitude. 



GENUS STERNA. Linnaeus. 



Bill as long or slightly longer than the head, almost straight, rather compressed, subulate and 

 acute at the point, not hooked ; the mandibles subequal : lower mandible with an angle 

 near the base. Nostrils sub-basal, longitudinal, linear. Feet weak, small, four-toed; the 

 web connecting the three anterior toes deeply concave on their edges. Hind toe and its 



• nail very short, touching the ground merely at the tip. First quill longest. Tail of 12. 

 feathers, long and generally forked. 



THE COMMON TERN. 



Sterna hirundo.. 

 plate cxxv. figs. 275, 276. 



(STATE COLLECTION.) 



Sterna hirundo, LlNNJEUs, p. 227. Great Tern, Pennant, Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 524. 



S. id. Wilson, Am. Orn. Vol. 7, p. 76, pi. 60, fig. 1. Bonaparte, Ann. Lyo. N. Y. Vol. 2, p. 354. Nuttall, 



Man. Orn. Vol. 2, p. 271. 

 S. wilsoni. Bonaparte, Geog. and Comp. List, p. 61. Audubon, B. of Am. Vol. 7, p. 97, pi. 433. 



Characteristics. Bill rather robust, red, tipped with black. Crown black. Quill-shafts 



white : outer web of the first quill, and a stripe on the inner web near 



the shaft, bluish gray or black. Tail deeply forked. Tarsus red, nearly 



an inch long. Young : hind head greyish, more or less black ; above 



greyish, varied with rufous. Length, 15' 5. 



Description. Bill tapering to an acute point, two inches long from the angle of the mouth ; 



the lower mandible slightly shortest. Tibia partly denuded. Outer tail-feathers tapering ; 



the inner rounded. 



Color. Adult (fig. 275) : Front, crown and hind head jet black. Bill and feet bright red; 

 the former black towards the tip. Back, scapulars and wings pearl-grey. Chin, sides of the 

 face, ridge of the wings, tips of wing-coverts and secondaries, rump and under tail-coverts 

 white. Beneath light pearl-grey. Outer web of the long lateral tail-feathers brownish grey ; 

 outer webs of the remainder light grey ; inner webs of all white : the inner webs of all the 

 primaries, except the first, darker than the outer, with an oblong white spot becoming larger 

 towards the longest quills. Young (fig. 276) : forehead and sides of the neck greyish white. 

 All above pearl-grey, tinged with rufous. Crown irregularly marked with black. Bill and 

 feet greenish yellow. Length, 14'0 - I6'0. 



