18/(3.] MR. H. SAUNDERS ON THE STERNIN.E. G()/ 



"Wideawakes," come every eight mouths to breed ; if true, this is 

 somewhat remarkable. The foot of this species is webbed to the 

 extremity of the toes, as shown in the drawing (p. 665). The young 

 are dark on the underparts. 



Genus N.enia, Boie. 

 NiENiA inca (Lesson). 



Sterna inca, Lesson. Voy. 'Coquille,' ii. p. 731. no. 145, atlas 

 pi. 47 (1826). 



Anous inca, Gray, Gen. Birds, iii. p. GG1 (1849) ; Bias. J. f. Orn. 

 1866, p. 83. 



Ncenia inca, Boie, Isis, 1849, p. 189 (type of genus Ncenia); 

 Bp. Compt. Rend. xlii. p. 773 (1856); Scl. and Salv. P. Z. S. 1871, 

 p. 567 (Neotrop. Laridse) ; Gray, Hand-list, iii. p. 123 (1871). 



Larosterna inca, Blyth, Cat. Mus. As. S. p. 293 (1849), type of 

 Larosterna. 



Inca mystacalis, Jard. Contrib. Orn. 1850, p. 32; Cassin, U.S. 

 Expl. Exp. p. 391 (1858). 



Anous inca, Gray, Gen. Birds, iii. p. 661 (1849) 



Inca mysticalis, Jardine, Contr. Orn. 1850, p. 32; Cassin, U.S. 

 Expl. Exped. p. 391 (1858)— Callao. 



This well-marked form seems fairly entitled to generic distinction, 

 the white drooping plumes beneath the eye, and the wattled gape 

 being found in no other species : the hallux is also connected with 

 the foot by a rudimentary web ; the tail, however, is forked as in 

 typical Sterna, removing it from any close relationship to Anous 

 where some have placed it. It appears to be a rock-breeding species 

 confined to the coasts of Peru and Chili. 



Genus Gygis, Wagler. 



GyGIS CANDIDA (Gm.). 



? Sterna alba, Sparr. Mus. Carls, ii. fasc. i. No. 11 (1786); Gm. 

 Syst. Nat. i. 2, p. 607 (1788); J. R. Forster, Descr. An. p. 179, ed. 

 Licht. (1844). 



Sterna Candida, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. 2, p. 607 (1788). 



Gygis Candida, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1223, ex J. R. Forster, 

 MS. (type of Gygis); Gray, Gen. Birds, iii. p. 660 (1849); Gould, 

 B. Australia, vii. pi. 30 (1848). 



Gygis alba (Sparr.), Cassin, U.S. Expl. Exp. p. 389 (1858); 

 Blasius, J. f. Orn. 1 866, p. 73 ; Finsch & Haiti. Faun. Centralpolynes. 

 p. 232 (1867); Gray, Hand-list, iii. p. 122 (1871). 



This beautiful and peculiar species is characterized by long slender 

 toes with very deeply incised webs, and a graduated tail, approaching 

 in shape that of the next genus, Anous. The shape of the bill is also 

 peculiar, being broad at the base, aud slightly tapering upwards in front 

 of the mandibular angle. To this form have belonged all the examples 

 which I have examined, or the descriptions of which I have com- 

 pared, from Madagascar and throughout Polynesia until we reach the 



