692 S. SUPEECILIAEIS VAE. ANTILLAEUM, LEAST TEEN. 



perhaps the other differences from dougalli might be reconciled with the 

 varying characters of age or season in that species ; but at present the 

 discrepancies are insurmountable. I have therefore no alternative to 

 accepting Mr. Eidgway's name, at least for the present. On examining 

 the type-specimen with him, I had a suspicion that the bird might be 

 longipennis, and he has expressed this doubt ; but on conferring with 

 Middendorff, Schrenck, and Eadde, we find that the characters of longi- 

 pennis do not agree at all with those of our bird.* 



A second specimen of portlandica has been taken by Mr. William Brews- 

 ter in Massachusetts. It agrees exactly, except that the black cap is 

 more restricted, the white reaching along the middle line over the vertex 

 to the occiput (comprising mj' view of the instability of this character). 

 It is slightly larger. "Wing, 10.2S ; tail, 6.30 ; culmen, 1.25 ; tarsus, 0.65; 

 middle toe wiflwut claw, the same. 



This specimen was not included in the analysis of the subgenus on 

 p. 675, and its supposed validity requires confirmation. 



STEENA SUPEECILIAEIS var. ANTILLAEUM, Coues. 

 least Tern. 



a. superciliaris. 



sterna supereiliaris, ViBiTA.., Nouv. Diet, xxxii, 1819, 126; E. M. 250 (Rati eeja blanca, 

 Az., Apunt. iii, 377).— Coues, Ibis, 1864, 390.— Blas., J. f. O. 1866, 74.— Sci,. & 

 Salv., p. Z. S. 1866, 200 (Ucayali) ; 1867, 593 ; 1871, 571 ; 1873, 310.— Eeinh., 

 Vid. Med. 1870, 19 (Brazil). 



Sterna maculata, Vieiix., E. M. 350 (Rati iacheti, Azara). 



Sterna argentea, Maxim., Beit, iv, 871. — Bubm., Syst. XJebers. iii, 542 ; Eeise, ii, 519. — 

 Pelz., 0. B. 325 (Brazil). 



b. antillarum. 



Sterna minuta, WiLS., Am. Orn. vii, 1813, 80, pi. 70, f. 2 (not of Linniens and European 

 •writers).— Bp., Svn. 1828, 355.— AuD.. Orn. Biog. iv, 1838, 175, pi. 319; Syn. 

 1839, 321 ; B. Am. vii, 1844, 119, 439.— GiR., B. L. I. 1844, 350.— Pdtn., Pr. Ess. 

 Inst. i. 1856, 221 (Massachusetts). 



Sterna minuta americana, SuxD., Ofv. K.-A. Forh. 1869, 589 (Porto Eico). 



Sterna argentea. Ndtt., Man. ii, 1834, 280.— Bp., List, 1838, 61.— Le6t., Ois. Trinidad, 545. 



Sternula antillarum, Less., Descr. Mammif. et Ois. 1847, 256. 



Sterna antillarum Coues, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1862, 552 (critical).— Coues, Ibis, 1864, 390 

 (Belize). — Coues, Ibis, 1866, 64 (coast of California) — Coues, Pr. Phila. Acad. 

 lS66, 100 (the same).- Coues, Pr. Ess. Inst, v, 1868, 308 (New England, breed- 

 ing). — Coues, Pr. Bost. Soc. xii, 1868, 126 (South Carolina). — Coues, Am. Nat. 

 iii, 1869, 337 (biography).— Coues, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1871, 45 (North Carolina, 

 breeding).— Lawr., Ann. Lye. viii, 1864, 107 (Sombrero); viii, 1866, 299 (New 

 Yort).— Dress., Ibis, 1866, 44 (Texas).— Gundl., Eepert. F. N. i, 1865, 393 

 (Cuba).— ScL. & Salv., P. Z. S. 1871, 571 (Central America).— Eidgw., Ann. 

 Lye. N. Y. X, 1874, 391 (Illinois). 



Sternula melanorhyncha, Less., op. et. loo. dt. (juv.). 



Sterna frenata, Gajib., Pr. Phila. Acad, iv, 1848, 128.— Lawr., B. N. A. 1858, 864.— Wheat., 

 Ohio Agric. Eep. 1860, No. 276.— Coues & Prent., Smiths. Eep. J861, 418 

 (Washington, D. C). — Hayd., Eep. 1862 (Missouri region). — Allen, Pr. Ess. 

 Inst, iv, 1864, 90 (Massachusetts).- Tuexb., B. E. Pa. 1869, 39.— Snow, B. Kana. 

 1873, 12 (rare). 



Sternula frenata, Bp., Compt. Eend. 1856, 773. 



Sterna superciKaris, Cab., J. f. O. v, 232 (Cnba).— Coues, Key, 1872, 322 (North America). 



Sterna {Sternula) superciliaris. Gray, Hand-list, iii, 1871, 121, No. 11066 (includes both). 



' Since wriling the foregoing, I have had an opportunity of inspecting a tine example 

 of longipennis, through the kind attentions of Dr. Otto Finsch, of Bremen. I fail to see 

 iow longipennis differs from Mrnndo (auci.) except in the more extensively black bill. 

 It is of exactly the same size, proportion of parts, and general aspect. The species (if 

 it be one) has given ornithologists some trouble, apparently ; but the only question 

 eeems to me to be its distinctness from Mrundo. 



