COMMON TERN. 553 



Sterna angUea, Whbaton, Pood of Birda, etc., Ohio Agrie. Eep. for 1874, 573; Bepiint, 

 1875, 15.— Langdon, Oat. Birds of Gin. 1877, 18; Bevised List, Jonm. Gin. Soo. 

 Nat. Hist., i, 1879, 189 ; Reprint, 23. 



Sterna angUca, MontaGUB, Orn. Diet. Snppl., 1813. 

 Sterna aranea, Wilson, Am. Orn., viii, 1814, 143. 



Bill and feet black ; mantle pearly grayish-blue, this color extending on the rnmp 

 and tail ; primaries with the white stripe restricted to their base, their shafts white. 

 Length, 13-15 ; extent, abont 34 ; wing, 10-12 ; tail, 4, forked only 2 or less, the lateral 

 feathers little narrowed ; tarsi, 1-lJ ; bill, 1^. 



Habitat, nearly cosmopolitan. In North America, chiefly Eastern United States ; not 

 detected on the Pacific side. Patagonia. 



Rare visitor in the vicinity of Cleveland, where taken by Mr. Winslow. 

 Given as an exceedingly rare summer visitor in the vicinity of Chicago 

 by Mr. Nelson. 



Sub-genus ')Sf/erna. Bill of ordinary Sternine character ; occiput not crested ; feet not 

 black. Medium and small. 



Sterna fluviatilis Naumann. 



Oommon Tern; Sea-s-waUo-w, 



Sterna hinmdo, Nuttall, Man., ii, 1834, 271. — Kiktland, Ohio Geolog. Surv., 1838, 166, 

 185. — Audubon, Orn. Biog., iv, 1838, 75; Birds Am., vii, 1844, 98. — Whbaton, Food 

 of Birds, etc., Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1874, 1875, 575 ; Reprint, 15. — Langdon, Cat Biids 

 of Gin., 1877, 18 ; Revised List, Journ. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., i, 1879, 189 ; Reprint, 23 ; 

 Summer Birds, ib., iii, 1880, 229.— DuRY and Freeman, ib., iii, 1880, 104 ; Reprint, 

 5.- 



Sterna vnUonii, Trembly, Field Notes, i, 1861, 129. — Whbaton, Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1860, 

 1861, 371 ; Reprint, 13. 



f Great Tern, Audubon, Orn. Biog., iii, 1835, 98 ; B. Am., vii, 1844, 152. 



Sterna kirundo, Linn^us, Pn. Suec, 158. 

 Sterna fluviatilis, Naumaunn, Isis, 1820. 

 Sterna wiUoni, Bonapaktb, List, 1838, 61. 



Bill red, blackening on the terminal third, the very point usually light ; feet coral- 

 red. Mantle pearly grayish-blue ; primary shafts white except at the end ; below white, 

 washed with pale pearly plumbeous, blanching on throat and lower belly. Tail mostly 

 whi CO, the outer web of the outer feather darker tha a inner web of the same. Length of 

 male, 14i (13-16) ; extent, 31 (29-32) ; wing, lOJ (Iff-llf) ; tail, 6 (5-7) ; tarsus, f (f-f) ; 

 bill, IJ-IJ; whole foot, averaging If; female rather less; averaging toward 

 these minima ; young birds may show a little smaller, in length of tail particularly, and 

 BO of total length ; length, 12 or more ; wing, 9 or more ; tail, 4 or more ; bill, 1^^ or 

 more. In winter this species does not appear to lose the black-cap, contrary to a nearly 

 universal rule. Young : — Bill mostly dusky, but much of the under mandible yellowish ;: 

 feet simply yellowish ; cap more or less defective ; back and wings patched and barred 

 with gray and light brown, the bluish showing imperfectly if if all, but this color shading 

 much of the tail ; usually a blackish bar along the lesser coverts, and several tail 

 feathers dusky on the outer web ; below, pure white, or with very little plumbeous shade. 



