ROSEATE TERN. 503 



land. It is included among the birds of Germany. M. 

 Temminck says it is found on the coast of Holland in 

 August and September, and breeds on some small islands 

 on the coast of Brittany and Picardy. M. Calvi and M. 

 Savi include it among the birds of Genoa and Italy. Dr. 

 Heineken sent specimens from Madeira, and Dr. Andrew 

 Smith brought others from the Cape of Good Hope. This 

 species appears to have a very wide geographical range. 

 Mr. Audubon mentions that he found this Tern breeding 

 in abundance at the Florida Keys; and Mr. Gould, in 

 his Birds of Europe, says he has received many skins from 

 India, particularly from the coast of Malabar. 



In the adult bird in summer the bill, from the point to 

 the nostrils, is black, from thence to the base or gape red ; 

 the irides dark ; all the top of the head black ; neck all 

 round white ; back, wing-coverts, and quill-feathers ash- 

 grey, the outer webs of the primaries dark grey, the inner 

 webs lighter ; tail-feathers very long, extending beyond 

 the ends of the wings, the colour pale ash-grey; breast and 

 all the under surface of the body white, strongly tinted 

 with a delicate rose colour, whence the bird derives its 

 name ; legs, toes, and their membranes red. The whole 

 length of the bird fifteen inches and a half. From the 

 carpal joint to the end of the longest quill-feather nine 

 inches and a quarter. 



Mr. Selby describes the young bird of the year as having 

 the bill black, orange-yellow at the base ; forehead and 

 crown of a very pale wood-brown ; region of the eyes, ear- 

 coverts, and nape of the neck black, the latter barred with 

 pale wood-brown ; back and wing-coverts bluish-grey, 

 barred with blackish-grey, the feathers tipped with yel- 

 lowish-white ; quills grey, the exterior web of the first 

 feather black ; tail grey, the exterior webs the darkest, the 

 tips of the feathers white ; under parts white ; legs pale red. 



