STERNA DOUGALLL 



(THE ROSEATE TERN.) 



Sterna dougalli, Mont. Orn. Diet. Suppl. (1813); Gould, B. of Eur. pi. 418 (1832); Legge, 

 Str. Feath. 1875, p. 376, et 1876, p. 246; Saunders, P. Z. S. 1876, p. 652; Dresser, 

 B. of Eur. pt. 54 (1876) ; Hume, Str. Feath. 1878 (B. of Tenass.), p. 492, et 1879 

 (List Ind. B.), p. 116. 



Sterna paradisea, Keys. & Bias. Wirbelth. Eur. p. 97 (1840); Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. 

 p. 292 (1849); Jerdon, B. of Ind. iii. p. 840 (1864). 



Sterna gracilis, Gould, P. Z. S. 1847, p. 222 ; id. B. of Austr. vii. pi. 27 (1848) ; Holdsw. 

 P. Z. S. 1872, p. 481 (first record from Ceylon); Hume, Str. Feath. 1874, p. 317. 



Sternula korustes, Hume, Str. Feath. 1874, p. 318. 



Sterne de Dougall, French ; Paradies-Meer-Schwalbe, German ; Graceful Tern, Gould. 



Adult male (Ceylon, June). Length 14-6 to 15-8 inches ; wing 8-4 to 9-0, expanse 25-0 to 26-8 ; tail 6-5 to 7-7, depth 

 of fork 4-0 to 4-5, lateral feathers in finest specimen 2-65 longer than the adjacent ; tarsus - 8 to 092 ; middle toe 

 0-7 to 0'75, claw (straight) 024, inner edge pectinated slightly ; bill at front l - 23 to 1*4, to gape 1-8 to l - 95. 



The lateral tail-feathers are very much attenuated in this species, extending in fine specimens 2-5 inches beyond the 

 closed wing. 



(18th June.) Iris brown ; bill orange' on the basal half, remainder of upper mandible blackish, of lower paler or 

 brownish ; legs and feet coral-red ; claws red, tips dusky. 



(30th June.) Bill jet-black throughout, claws the same. 



American examples shot in July, in Mr. Dresser's collection, and a Port-Blair specimen (20th May) have the bill black, 

 except round the base, where it is yellow. A September specimen (Elizabeth Island) has it entirely black. 



Forehead, with the upper half of the lores, crown, nape, and upper part of hind neck glossy black, the boundary-line 

 passing from the nostril along by the under edge of the eyelid (which, however, is white) and over the ear-coverts 

 to the nape ; hind neck just beneath the termination of the crest white, changing imperceptibly into the delicate 

 pearly grey of the back, wings, rump, and tail, which latter fades again into white on the lateral feathers ; prima- 

 ries dark grey, thickly " frosted " with white on all the outer webs but that of the 1st, the inner portions of the 

 inner webs white, continued as a broad edge to the tips ; tips of the secondaries white ; primary-shafts white to 

 the tips ; underparts suffused with delicate rosy white, tinged with pale grey on the flanks ; axillaries pure white, 

 but the under wing tinged with rose-colour. In examples not so far advanced towards breeding-plumage this 

 rosy colour is not so pronounced, showing that it increases until the bill is at its blackest, and the individual bas 

 assumed its perfect nuptial attire. 



Winter plumage. Bill red, tipped with black more or less ; underparts white ; the forehead, lores, and front of crown 

 white ; occiput aud nape with the centre of the feathers black and the margins white. 



Young, about three months old. Wing 8'2 inches ; tail 4-2 ; bill to gape 2-6. 



Bill black ; legs and feet brown. 



Head above mouse-colour, darkening on the nape, and spotted on the crown with black ; a spot in front of the eye and 

 a patch behind it black ; cheeks just beneath the eye striped with black ; hind neck and interscapulary region finely 

 stippled with brown and buffi ; uppermost scapulars more coarsely marked with the same ; longer scapulars and 

 tertials grey, passing into buff at the tips, and marked with blackish-brown centres and broad stripes running 

 round inside the edge of the feathers ; lesser wing-coverts blackish grey, tipped with white ; remainder pale blue- 

 grey ; the greater coverts and the secondaries tipped white, the latter very broadly, the adjacent colour being 

 blue-grey, passing into white at the base and on the outer web ; quills as in the adult, with broader white tips ; 

 all but the outer tail-feathers with dark markings near the tips. 



Obs. Measurements of birds from other parts of the world are: — (Massachusetts, Mus. Dresser) wing 9-1 to 9-2 inches ; 

 tail 7-8 to 8-5, outer feathers 4-8 to 5-6 longer than the central pair ; tarsus 0-7 ; middle toe 0-7; bill to gape 2-0, 

 at front 1-5 : (Port Blair, Mus. Dresser) wing 8-4 ; tail 6-0 ; tarsus 0-7 : (Andamans, Hume) wing 8-5 ; tail nearly 

 7'0, extending an inch (only) beyond the closed wing ; tarsus 0-75 ; bill T45 at front. 



