6S2 STEKNA HIRL^XDO, COMMON TERX. 



to pre-seut it. Tbis I regret the more siDce it does not seeiu to be generally known, 

 and even qnite dirn-se accounts of its winter dress are gi\-en by authors. Toiuiiiinck, 

 for example, S;1ys that in winter the adults do not lose the black of the cr«wn : •■ elle 

 est seulemeut plus terne." Other authois ascribe to it a condition of plumage very 

 similar to that presented by S.forsteri or maerui-a, and I have myself little doubt but 

 that such is really their condition at that season. Xauuiauu, one" of the most exhtuist- 

 ive desciibers of the changes of plumage of biixls. is unable to siive a very s;it islactory 

 account of this plumage, for the reason, as he says, "that so long as the winter rauge 

 of habitat of this species remains unknown to us^ it will always be difficult to give an 

 account of the winter plumage of the fuUy moulted bini."' He says, however, that 

 the forehead and cheeks are white, more or less variegated wiih black ; the middle of 

 the crown white, lightly spotted or streaked with black; occiput and nape almost 

 wholly black. In other respects, I think that the upper and under parts will both be 

 found to be lighter than in summer, the latter especially approaching to the pure 

 white of the young bird; the tail will be shorter aud less deeply forked ; the bill aud 

 feet duller red, the former more invaded by the blauk of the termiUiU portion. Audu- 

 bon says that "in winter the bill is black, with the base pale orauge aud the tip yel- 

 lowish; the feet orange-yellow. The colors are as in the adults, tlie forehead white, 

 the rest of the head dusky, the upper parts having the feathers slightly edged with 

 lighter." 



Other rariations. — These consist, as usual in the subfamily, chiefly in the total size, 

 individuals varying considerably in this respect. ^See above measurements.) I soanely 

 find any variations iu color worth noticing in specimens of equal ages at corresponding 

 seasons. The amount of black on the bill may be incie.ised or diminished, but 1 have 

 never fcen it eqn.ll in amount to that of ^J. fosteri or longipt ;iiii.<. nor yet entirely absent, 

 as is usually the ease with ^^. macrura. 



Comparison trilh aUifS ^jitcit-s. — The present being the typical spetnes of the giviip, it 

 is taken as the standard with which to compare other species; and the differeueos of 

 each of them from it will bo found under their respective heads. 



Deglaud, in his Ornithol >gie Enrepeeuiie. speaks of the occurrence of a hybrid of 

 this species aud the ^. macrura partaking in a varying degree of the charactei's of 

 either parent. Though I have never met with a specimen which I could not unhesi- 

 tatingly refer to one or the other species, it is not improbable that hybrids should 

 really occur. 



Comparhoii of American ami Eiiro2)eiin hird. — Being desirous of determining definitely 

 the relationships of our bird to that of Europe, I procured for examination an exten- 

 sive series from both countries, comprising some fifty specimens. These I c;vrelnlly 

 compared iu their most miutite details, and in no respect could 1 detect the slightes^ 

 discrepancy. This is contrary alike to late high authority on the subject aud to m"v owu 

 preconceived ideas. It would be difficult to say upon what groumls the validity of 

 ^. •■ wil-^oiii " has been maintained, since no definite characters havi' ever been laid down 

 whereby it may be separated from ,S. hiriintlo. The American bird was first distin- 

 guished from the European by B.-naparte, in l>o~, in his Comparative List ; but no 

 diagmsis is oftered. ^'. -'irihoni" is one of several species introduced by this aitlhor 

 in the same work, for the distinguishing of which from their European representatives 

 he seems to have relied upon some preconceived theory of gi ographieal distribntiou, 

 rather than upon any characters atforded by the birds tlie.Kselvcs. I present the 

 detailed measurements of five American and five European birds, taken at random from 

 a large series. It wiU be noticed that in no respect do the dimensions of the binls freni 

 the two continents present greater dilferences than are foitnd iu the several examples 

 from either. 



A. — S. liintndo ex EuropS. 



•^ Inches and hundredths. 



