﻿I40 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  The 
  Royal 
  tern 
  is 
  a 
  species 
  of 
  tropical 
  and 
  austral 
  distribution, 
  breed- 
  

   inc^ 
  as 
  far 
  north 
  as 
  Cobb's 
  Island, 
  Va., 
  and 
  is 
  an 
  accidental 
  summer 
  visitant 
  

   on 
  our 
  coast. 
  The 
  only 
  authentic 
  specimen 
  from 
  this 
  State 
  was 
  taken 
  at 
  

   Raynor 
  South, 
  L. 
  I., 
  August 
  27, 
  1831, 
  by 
  J. 
  F. 
  Ward, 
  and 
  is 
  now 
  in 
  the 
  

   American 
  Museum, 
  Lawrence 
  Collection. 
  Giraud 
  describes 
  it 
  under 
  the 
  

   name 
  of 
  Cayenne 
  tern, 
  but 
  evidently 
  confuses 
  it 
  with 
  the 
  Caspian 
  tern 
  

   which 
  he 
  does 
  not 
  mention, 
  for 
  he 
  gives 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Labrador 
  as 
  its 
  breeding 
  

   range, 
  following 
  Audubon's 
  misstatement, 
  and 
  says 
  that 
  Mr 
  Bell 
  received 
  

   a 
  number 
  of 
  specimens 
  from 
  various 
  sections 
  of 
  Long 
  Island. 
  DeKay 
  

   likewise 
  confused 
  it 
  with 
  the 
  Caspian 
  tern, 
  his 
  description 
  of 
  S 
  . 
  c 
  a 
  y 
  a 
  n 
  a 
  

   evidenth' 
  referring 
  to 
  that 
  species. 
  

  

  Sterna 
  sandvicensis 
  acuflavida 
  (Cabot) 
  

   Cabot 
  Tern 
  

  

  Sterna 
  acuflavida 
  Cabot. 
  Boston 
  Soc. 
  Nat. 
  Hist. 
  Proc. 
  1842. 
  2:257 
  

  

  Sterna 
  cantiaca 
  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  303, 
  fig. 
  274 
  

  

  Sterna 
  sandvicensis 
  acuflavida 
  A. 
  O.U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  67 
  

  

  sandvicen'sis, 
  of 
  Sandwich, 
  Kent; 
  acuflav'ida, 
  Lat., 
  acus, 
  point, 
  and 
  flavidus, 
  

  

  yellowish 
  

  

  Distinctive 
  marks. 
  Bill 
  black, 
  tipped 
  with 
  yellow. 
  Like 
  the 
  Royal 
  tern 
  

   in 
  plumage 
  and 
  proportions, 
  but 
  only 
  slightly 
  larger 
  than 
  the 
  common 
  tern. 
  

  

  Length 
  15-16 
  inches; 
  extent 
  34; 
  wing 
  12.5; 
  tail 
  6; 
  forked 
  2.35; 
  bill 
  

   2.25; 
  depth 
  of 
  bill 
  .48; 
  tarsus 
  i. 
  

  

  Cabot 
  teiTi. 
  Sterna 
  sandvicensis 
  acuflavida 
  (Cabot) 
  . 
  From 
  specimen 
  in 
  

  

  State 
  Museum. 
  \ 
  nat. 
  size 
  

  

  The 
  Cabot, 
  or 
  Sandwich 
  tern, 
  is 
  an 
  inhabitant 
  of 
  the 
  wanner 
  seacoasts, 
  

   the 
  American 
  bird 
  being 
  almost 
  identical 
  with 
  the 
  Old 
  World 
  fonn. 
  Our 
  

   bird 
  breeds 
  as 
  far 
  north 
  as 
  South 
  Carolina, 
  and 
  has 
  wandered 
  up 
  the 
  coast 
  

  

  