704 HYDEOCHELIDON LAEIFOEMIS, BLACK TEEN. 



features. These consist principally in the extreme slenderness of the bill, and the 

 amount of deflection of its very acute tip ; in the narrow and very deeply incised 

 iuterdigital membraDes ; in the short and not deeply forked tail. The size is small, 

 and the pattern of coloration peculiar. In the character of the tail the genus ap- 

 proaches GelocTididon, but there the resemblance ends. It seems, -while most closely 

 allied to the typical Stcniw, to form the connecting link between them and Haliplcma; 

 and among the Megalopterew, to have affinity with such genera as that of which Gould's 

 Anous plumbeiis is typical. 



North America has a single representative of this genus, the young of which was 

 described by Wilson as S. phtmiea, but which is apparently identical specifically with 

 the S. flssipes of Europe. The European species are three — lariformis, Linn. {Sterna 

 nigra, Briss., and of many authors) ; nigra, Linn, {leucoptera, Auct.); and hylrida. Pall. 

 (hucopdreia, Natt., and most authors). The second of these has lately been detected in 

 North America, but can only be considered as a straggler. 



The first distinctive name for the genus is that of Boie of 1822. Leach's Viralva of 

 1826, and Kaup's Pelodes of 1829, are entirely synonymous. Of the several species of 

 this genus indicated by authors, the two occurring in North America may be distin- 

 guished from each other and from M. hylrida, as follows : 



A. Head all around, and under parts, black ; the crissum abruptly white. 



Small. Wing under 8. Bill dark. 



a. Wings and tail above plumbeous, like the back lariformis. 



1>. Wings whitening along fore-arm border; tail with its upper 



coverts white nigra. 



B. Cap alone black ; body above and below, with wings and tail, dark 



pearly plumbeous, whitening on crissum and sides of head. Large. 



Wing over 9 ; bill light hybrida.* 



HYDEOCHELIDO:^^ LAEIFOEMIS, (Linn.) Coues. 

 Black Tern. 



a,. (Uuropean references.) 



Battus larifomnn, LiNN., Syst. Nat. i, ed. 10th, 1758, 153 {^ S. nmvia of ed. 12th). 



Sterna flssipes, LiNX., Syst. Nat. i, 1766, 228 (based primarilv on S. nigra, Briss., Om. 

 vi, 211, pi. 20, f. 1).— Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 1788, 610.— Lath., Ind. Orn. ii, 1790, 

 810.— Schjeff,, Mus. Orn. 1779, 65.— BrIjnn., Orn. Bor. 1764, No. 153.— Degl., 

 Orn. Eur. ii, 1849, 349. 



Sydrochelidon flssipes, Gray, Gen. of B. iii, 1849, 660 ; List Br. B. 1863, 243.— Blas., 

 J. t. O. 1866, 82. 



Sterna nigra, Briss., Orn. vi, 1760, 211, pi. 20, f. 1.— Eetz., En. Succ. 1800, 164.— Mey., 

 tasch. ii, 1811, 461.— Temm., Man. 1815, 484 ; ii, 1820, 749.— Leach, Cat. 1816, 

 41.— ViEiLL., Nouv. Diet, xxxii, 1819, 170 ; En. Franc. 1828, 400.— Fjlbm., Br. 

 B. 1828, 144.— NiLSS., Orn. Suec. ii, 1821, 160.— Less., Tr. Orn. 1831, 622.— Jen., 

 Man. 1835, 268.— Eyt., Cat. 1836, 55.— Keys. & Blas., Wirb. Eur. 1840, 98.— 

 SCHiNZ, Eur. En. 1840, 375.— Naum., V. D. x, 1840, 198, pi. 256.— Macgil., Man. 

 Orn. ii, 1840, 933 ; Br. B. v, — .— Schl., Eev. Crit. Ois. Eur. 1844, 130. 



Sydrochelidon nigra, Boie, Isis, 1822, 563.— Kabp, Sk. Ent. Eur. Thierw. 1829, 109.— 

 Brehm, V. D. 1831, 793.— Bp., List, 1838, 61. 



Viralva nigra, Leach, Gen. Zool. xiii, 1826, 167. 



Sterna ncevia, Linn., Syst. Nat. i, 1766, 228 (based on S. nwvin, Briss., vi, 217, pi. 20, f. 

 2, and Eallus lariformis of ed. x, 1758, 153). — Schjefp., Mus. Orn. 1779, 66. — 

 Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 1788, 609 {Sterna hoysii var. B. of Lath., Ind. Orn. ii, 806, is 

 the same as this). 



(?) Sterna obscura, Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 1788, 608.— Lath., Ind. Om. ii, 1790, 810. 



Sydrochelidon nigricans et obscura, Brbhm, V. D. 1831, 794, 795. 



*Ste>-na ht/brida, Pai,l., Zoog. E. A. ii, 1811, 338.— Keys. & Blas., Wirb. Eur. 1840, 98. 

 Sydrochelidon hybrida. Gray, Gen. of B. iii, 1849, 660 ; List Br. B. 1863, 242.— Blas., 



J. f. 0. 1866, 82. 

 Sterna leiicopareia, Natt.— Temm., Mau. ii, 1820, 746.— Naum., V. D. x, 1846^ 168, pi. 255. 

 Viralva leiicopareia, Stbph., Gen. Zool. xiii, 1826, 171. 

 Pelodes leucopareia, ILvup, Sk. Ent. Eur. Thierw. 1829, 107. 

 Sydrochelidon leiicopareia, Boie.— Brehm, V. D. 1831, 797, pl. 39, f. 1. 

 Sterna delamottei, Vieill., Enoy. Meth. 350. 



" Sterna grisea, HoRsr. ; indica, Steph. ; albistriata et similis, Gray ; fluviatilis, Gould ; 

 'delalandii, Bp." {Fide Blas., J. f. O. 1866, 82.) 

 Since the term "hybrida" is obviously meaningless in such employ — in fact wholly 

 incorrect and inapplica,ble — should it not be passed over, like any other glaringly inap- 

 propriate designation, in favor of the better known and well-fitting, though subsequent, 

 appellation leucopareia ? 



