78 COMMON TERN. 
Sterna Hirvunno, Linn. Syst. Nat., vol. i. p.227.—Lath. Ind. Ornith., vol. ii. p. 807. 
—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, 354.—Richards. and 
Swains. Fauna Bor. Amer. vol. ii. p. 412. 
Great TERN, SteRNA Hirunvo, Wils. Amer. Ornith., vol. viii. p. 76, pl. 60, fig. 1. 
Great or Common TERN, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 271. 
Adult Male. Plate CCCIX. 
Bill about the same length as the head, rather slender, compressed, 
nearly straight, tapering to a narrow point. Upper mandible with the 
dorsal line slightly arched, the ridge rather broad and convex at the 
base, narrow towards the end, the sides sloping, convex towards the 
end, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip very slender. Nasal groove 
rather long, and with a faint groove and ridge extending obliquely to 
the edge of the mandible; nostrils sub-basal, linear, direct, pervious. 
Lower mandible with the angle very narrow, extending beyond the 
middle, the dorsal line straight, the sides ascending and convex, the 
edges sharp and inflected, the tip very acute. 
Head of moderate size, oblong; neck of moderate length; body * 
very slender. Feet very small; tibia bare for a considerable space ; 
tarsus very short, slender, compressed, covered anteriorly with twenty- 
two small seutella, laterally and behind with reticular scales ; toes very 
small, slender, the first extremely small, the third longest, the fourth 
considerably shorter, the second shorter than the fourth in the same 
proportion ; the anterior toes connected by reticulated webs, which are 
deeply coneave at their margin. Claws arched, compressed, that of 
the hind toe smallest, of the middle by much the largest, and having 
the inner edge thin and dilated. 
Plumage soft, close, blended, very short on the fore part of the 
head; the feathers, in general, broad and rounded; wings very long, 
narrow, and pointed; primary quills tapering to a rounded point, 
slightly curved inwards, the first longest, the rest rapidly graduated ; 
secondary quills short, broad incurved, obliquely rounded, the imner 
more tapering. Tail long, very deeply forked, of twelve feathers, of 
which the outer are tapering, the middle short and rounded. 
Bill bright coral-red, black towards the end, the tip light yellow; 
inside of mouth reddish-orange ; eye hazel. Feet coral-red, lighter 
than the bill; claws brownish-black. Upper part of the head, and 
the hind neck half-way down, deep black, the anterior part tinged 
with brown, the posterior with blue. The sides of the head, the fore 
