Okdee ANSEEES.] [Fam. LARIDJE. 



STERNA FRONTALIS. 



(WHITE-FRONTED TERN.) 



Sterna frontalis, Gray, Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 19 (1844). 

 Sterna albifrons, Peale, U.S. Expl. Exped. Birds, p. 279 (1848). 

 Sterna atripes, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7473. 

 Sterna longipennis, Finsch, J. f. O. 1867, p. 339. 



Native name. — Tara ; " Sea-swallow " of the Colonists. 



Ad. ptil. (Bstiv. supra albicanti-cinereus, remigibus cano lavatis, primarii primi pogonio externo nigro, pennis 

 minoribus ad apicem late albis, reliquis intus versus apicem albis : cauda alba : capite et nucha, nigris, 

 fronte et facie laterali albis : subtus albus : rostro nigra, ad basin brunnescente : pedibus rufescenti- 

 brunneis : iride nigra. 



Ad. ptil. hiem. similis ptilosi sestivae, sed fronte alba latiore et vertice plus minusve albo vario. 



Juv. capite cinerascenti-nigro, albido vario : supra dilute cinereus, obscure nigricante fasciatus et uotatus : 

 tectricibus alarum minimis nigricantibus. 



Adult in summer. Crown of the head and nape black ; a band immediately over the bill, the lores, and 

 cheeks pure white ; back and upper surface of wings pale ashy grey ; the rest of the plumage pure 

 white ; the breast and sides of the body often suffused with a delicate rosy tint, which fades after 

 death. Irides and bill black; legs and feet reddish brown. Length 16 inches; extent of wings 33; 

 wing, from flexure, 11 ; tail 7 (the middle feather 3 inches shorter) ; bill, along the ridge T6, along 

 the edge of lower mandible 2"25 ; bare tibia '4; tarsus - 6 ; middle toe and claw l'l. 



Adult in winter. Differs in having the white frontal band more extended, and the black crown more or less 

 varied or spotted with white. 



Young. Forehead, crown of the head and nape greyish black, mottled with white ; the whole of the back, 

 the feathers composing the mantle, and some of the larger wing-coverts dark silvery grey, varied with 

 white, and handsomely mottled and barred with greyish black ; the smaller wing-coverts uniform 

 greyish black, except along the edge of the wing, where they become white ; underparts silky white, 

 as in the adult. The barred character is most conspicuous on the scapulars and long inner secondaries ; 

 and both these and the tad-feathers have crescent-shaped markings near the tips. 



Nestling. Covered with buffy-white down, tinged with fulvous on the head and neck, and mottled with 

 grey on the back. 



Fledgeling. Feathers of the back and the scapulars greyish white, with broad crescentic marks of black ; 

 the down on the back buffy white, mottled and marbled with dark grey ; wing-feathers (half an inch in 

 length) sdvery grey, broadly margined with white. 



