﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  I49 
  

  

  Sterna 
  fuscata 
  Linnaeus 
  

   Sooty 
  Tern 
  

  

  Plate 
  7 
  

  

  Sterna 
  fuscata 
  Gmelin. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  1766. 
  Ed. 
  12. 
  1:228 
  

  

  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  75 
  

  

  fusca'ta, 
  Lat., 
  dusky 
  

  

  Description. 
  Adult: 
  Lores, 
  crown 
  and 
  upper 
  parts 
  black, 
  deepest 
  on 
  

   the 
  top 
  and 
  back 
  of 
  the 
  head; 
  forehead, 
  extending 
  over 
  the 
  eye, 
  white; 
  

   outer 
  tail 
  feathers 
  mostly 
  white; 
  under 
  parts 
  white; 
  bill 
  and 
  feet 
  black. 
  

   Immature: 
  Sooty 
  brown, 
  dark 
  above, 
  but 
  fading 
  to 
  grayish 
  on 
  the 
  belly; 
  

   the 
  lining 
  of 
  the 
  wings, 
  scapulars 
  and 
  tail 
  coverts 
  tipped 
  with 
  white, 
  giving 
  

   the 
  bird 
  a 
  "peculiar 
  spotty 
  appearance." 
  

  

  Length 
  15-17 
  inches; 
  extent 
  34; 
  wing 
  12; 
  tail 
  7.5, 
  forked 
  3-3.5; 
  bill 
  

   1.8, 
  depth 
  .5; 
  gape 
  2.5; 
  tarsus 
  i; 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw 
  1.2. 
  

  

  The 
  Sooty 
  tern, 
  a 
  bird 
  of 
  general 
  distribution 
  in 
  tropical 
  regions, 
  is 
  

   an 
  accidental 
  visitant 
  on 
  the 
  coastal 
  and 
  inland 
  waters 
  of 
  New 
  York. 
  In 
  

   the 
  years, 
  1876 
  and 
  1878, 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  marked 
  invasion 
  of 
  these 
  terns 
  in 
  

   New 
  York 
  and 
  New 
  England. 
  Ten 
  or 
  more 
  specimens 
  have 
  been 
  recorded 
  

   from 
  New 
  England. 
  New 
  York 
  records 
  are 
  as 
  follows: 
  

  

  Oswego, 
  N. 
  Y. 
  "About 
  1875." 
  D. 
  D. 
  Stone 
  

  

  Lake 
  Champlain, 
  N. 
  Y. 
  Sept. 
  6, 
  1876. 
  Merriam, 
  Auk, 
  i: 
  59 
  

  

  Owasco 
  Lake, 
  N. 
  Y. 
  Sept. 
  20, 
  1876. 
  Fowler, 
  Forest 
  and 
  Stream, 
  7: 
  230; 
  N. 
  O. 
  C. 
  

  

  BuL, 
  2: 
  76 
  

   Lake 
  Ronkonkoma, 
  L. 
  I. 
  Sept. 
  13, 
  1878. 
  Dutcher, 
  Auk, 
  3: 
  433 
  

   Highland 
  Falls, 
  N. 
  Y. 
  Sept. 
  13, 
  14, 
  1878. 
  Mearns, 
  Es. 
  Inst. 
  BuL, 
  12: 
  87 
  

   Montauk, 
  N. 
  Y. 
  Sept. 
  18, 
  1883. 
  (W. 
  W. 
  Worthington) 
  . 
  Dutcher 
  Collection, 
  1355 
  

  

  Hydrochelidon 
  nigra 
  surinamensis 
  (Gmelin) 
  

   Black 
  Tern 
  

  

  Plate 
  8 
  

  

  Sterna 
  surinamensis 
  Gmelin. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  1788. 
  Ed. 
  i. 
  2 
  : 
  604 
  

   Sterna 
  nigra 
  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  300, 
  fig. 
  278, 
  278a 
  

   Hydrochelidon 
  nigra 
  surinamensis 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  

   1895. 
  No. 
  77 
  

  

  hy'drochell'don, 
  Gr. 
  v'Sojp, 
  water, 
  and 
  xe^'S")", 
  swallow; 
  ni'gra, 
  Lat., 
  black; 
  

   suriname'nsis, 
  of 
  Surinam, 
  Dutch 
  Guiana 
  

  

  Description. 
  Adult 
  in 
  summer: 
  Head, 
  neck, 
  breast 
  and 
  belly, 
  black; 
  

   back, 
  wings, 
  and 
  tail 
  dark 
  plumbeous 
  or 
  slate-color; 
  primaries 
  grayish 
  

  

  