758 



SY8TEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. — LONGIPENNES — GA VIjE. 



Tibife bare about 0.75 ; tarsus 1.75, rather exceeding middle toe and claw, the scutella iu 

 front replaced by polygonal scales similar to but larger than those on its sides, which are 

 rough ; hind toe extremely small ; outer lateral nearly as long as middle toe and claw, which 

 is 1.65. BOl dark vermilion red, growing lighter and somewhat " diaphanous " toward the 

 tip. Pileum and occipital crest glossy greenish-black, extending to below the lower level of 

 the eyes, and occupying the termination of the feathers on the side of the mandible to the 



Fig. 512. — Caspian Tern, 

 exclusion of the white ; lower eyelid white, 



, t iiat. size. (From Bit;lim.) 



forming a noticeable spot on the greenish ; a 

 vilrite streak along sides of upper mandible, not extending to the end of the feathers. Mantle 

 pearl-blue, the hue of demarcation between it and the white rather indefinite, both on nape 

 and rump ; most of the tail-feathers, and especially the central ones, retaining a more or less 

 pearly tint. Shafts of the primaries yellowish-white; primaries grayish-black, but, when 

 neM', so heavily silvered over as to appear of a light hoary gray, especially on their superior 

 aspects. On the inner web of all there is a central light field ; this is very narrow, even on 

 the first primary, although it runs for some considerable distance, and on the others it rapidly 

 grows less ; and it has no trenchant line of division on any of the priuraries from the darker 

 portions of the feather. Whole inner web of secondaries pure white, outer piearl-blue. Legs 

 and feet black. Adult, winter plumage : Chiefly distinguished by a diminution in the bright- 

 ness of the bill, and by a change in the character of the pileum. The vermilion is replaced 

 by light orange-red, growing stiU yellower toward the tip of the bill and along the tomia. 



