NATATORES — LARIDiE — STERNA. 305 



THE SILVERY TERN. 



Sterna argentea. 



plate cxxiv. fig. 273. 



(STATE COLLECTION.) 



Sterna minvta, Wilsoh, Am. Orn. Vol. 7, p. 80, pi. 60, fig. 2. Bonapabte, Ann. Lye. N. Y. Vol 2, p. 355. 

 S. argentea. Max. de Neuwiid, Voy. Vol. 1, p. 67. Temmisck, Man. d'Orn. Vol. 2, p. 754. 

 iS. id., Silvery Tern. Ndttall, Man. Orn. Vol. 2, p. 280. 

 S. minuta. Aodubob, B. of A. Vol. 7, p. 119, pi. 439. 



Characteristics. Bill moderate, yellow, black at tip : crown black ; forehead white. First 

 two quills and their shafts black, except a broad white stripe on their 

 inner webs. Tarsus yellow, 0" 5 long. Tail moderately forked. Webs 

 entire : nails long and acute. Young : crown and upper parts varied 

 with soiled white and dusky. Length, 9*5. 

 Description. Bill compressed, acute, somewhat curved above. Tail shorter than the 

 wings ; the outer feather 1 • 5 longer than the middle pair. 



Color. Forehead, and a short line extending to or above the eye, pure white : a black 

 stripe extending from behind the nostrils through the eye, and uniting with the black on the 

 crown. Back, wing-coverts, quills (except the first two or three), and the tail above deep 

 pearl-grey. All beneath silvery white. In the color of the quills there appear to be some 

 variations, and more extended observations are necessary. In a male adult (shot in July), 

 the two first quills with their shafts were black on the upper surface, bordered with white 

 on the inner web, which border gradually narrowed and became lost towards the tips ; be- 

 neath, the shaft, outer web and border of the inner web of the first quill white, becoming 

 dusky at the tip. In an adult female obtained at the same time, the upper surface of the 

 three first quills, except the margins of the inner webs, are greyish brown, and the shafts 

 black. Young : Crown white, streaked or spotted with brown. Hind head and all above 

 varied with white, brown and grey. Quills deep brownish grey. A dusky stripe through the 

 eye. Length, 9-0-10 0. 



This species has recently been separated from the S. minuta of Europe, with which it 

 appears indeed very closely allied. The chief differences appear to be that the Silvery Tern 

 or Little Tern is larger, and the whole upper parts (with the tail) lighter than in the Euro- 

 pean species. Temminck, however, in speaking of the S. minuta of Europe, observes that 

 " cette espece est absolument la meme dans PAmerique septentrionale." We may then pro- 

 bably have two species, which have been confounded under one name. The Silvery Tern 

 breeds from Texas to Labrador. It penetrates into the interior along the great lakes, and 

 probably passes the winter within the tropics. On this coast, it is sometimes called the Little 

 Sheepshead Gull, from its supposed simultaneous appearance with the Sargus ovis. I have 

 not found its nest, but the eggs are light yellowish white with irregular dark brown spots and 

 blotches. 



[Fauna— Part 2.] 39 



