﻿310 
  Mr. 
  E. 
  Hartert 
  on 
  the 
  Birds 
  of 
  

  

  The 
  North-American 
  birds 
  were 
  formerly 
  called 
  Sterna 
  

   wilsoni, 
  but 
  tliey 
  are 
  absolutely 
  identical 
  with 
  European 
  

   ones. 
  

  

  4- 
  37. 
  Sterna 
  antillarum, 
  Less. 
  

  

  Common 
  on 
  Aruba 
  and 
  Bonaire 
  in 
  places 
  where 
  a 
  sandy 
  

   beach 
  offers 
  them 
  good 
  breeding-grounds. 
  I 
  believe 
  they 
  had 
  

   laid 
  their 
  eggs 
  on 
  Aruba 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  June, 
  but 
  I 
  did 
  not 
  

   find 
  any. 
  At 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  July 
  I 
  found 
  half- 
  and 
  full-grown 
  

   young 
  ones. 
  In 
  coloration 
  the 
  young 
  bird 
  is 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  

   of 
  S. 
  minuta, 
  and 
  therefore 
  requires 
  no 
  description. 
  

  

  Iris 
  deep 
  brown 
  ; 
  bill 
  yellow, 
  with 
  black 
  tip 
  ; 
  feet 
  

   yellow. 
  

  

  -^ 
  38. 
  Sterna 
  dougalli, 
  Mont. 
  

  

  Cf. 
  Sterna 
  dougalli 
  gracilis, 
  Cory, 
  Cat. 
  W. 
  Ind. 
  B. 
  pp. 
  82 
  

   & 
  135 
  (1892). 
  

  

  There 
  was 
  a 
  large 
  breeding-place 
  of 
  this 
  Tern 
  on 
  the 
  coral- 
  

   reef 
  on 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Aruba. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  always 
  three 
  in 
  

   number 
  ; 
  they 
  are 
  deposited 
  on 
  the 
  sand 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  green 
  

   shore-plants 
  which 
  often 
  cover 
  the 
  soil. 
  The 
  eggs 
  vary 
  to 
  

   the 
  same 
  extent 
  as 
  those 
  of 
  Sterna 
  hirundo 
  and 
  S. 
  paradisea 
  

   and 
  other 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  family. 
  The 
  skins 
  are 
  in 
  plumage 
  

   identical 
  with 
  those 
  from 
  Mexico 
  and 
  other 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  

   West 
  Indies. 
  Iris 
  dark 
  brown 
  ; 
  bill 
  blackish, 
  basal 
  half 
  

   more 
  or 
  less 
  orange-red 
  ; 
  feet 
  bright 
  red. 
  If 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  

   other 
  character 
  to 
  distinguish 
  Sterna 
  dougalli 
  gracilis 
  but 
  the 
  

   colour 
  of 
  the 
  bill, 
  my 
  birds 
  might 
  belong 
  to 
  that 
  subspecies. 
  

  

  39. 
  Sterna 
  aNjEstheta, 
  Scop. 
  

  

  A 
  good 
  many 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  were 
  found 
  breeding 
  on 
  the 
  

   coral-reef 
  off 
  Cero 
  Colorado 
  on 
  Aruba, 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  place 
  

   where 
  S. 
  dougalli 
  had 
  its 
  eggs. 
  The 
  e^^n, 
  however, 
  were 
  

   always 
  laid 
  in 
  a 
  corner 
  under 
  bushes, 
  or 
  under 
  a 
  stone 
  or 
  

   shell, 
  and 
  never 
  placed 
  so 
  openly 
  as 
  those 
  of 
  S. 
  dougalli. 
  

   We 
  found 
  only 
  one 
  egg 
  in 
  each 
  nest, 
  and 
  altogether 
  not 
  

   more 
  than 
  ten 
  ; 
  they 
  were 
  all 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  set. 
  When 
  

   flying 
  overhead 
  the 
  uuderpart 
  of 
  the 
  wing 
  and 
  abdomen 
  of 
  

   this 
  bird 
  appeared 
  beautifully 
  tinged 
  with 
  greenish 
  blue, 
  

   while 
  in 
  the 
  living 
  S. 
  dougalli 
  the 
  delicate 
  peach-blossom 
  

  

  