370 LARID^ : JAEGERS, GULLS, TERNS, ETC. 



coast (Brewster, Bull. Nutt. Club, vii, 1882, p. 126). Its 

 habits are in all resppcts the same as those of Wilson's 

 Tern. 



ARCTIC TERN. 



Sterna macrura Naum. 



Chars. Bill carmine or lake-red throughout ; feet vermilion ; plu- 

 mage like that oihirundo, but much darker below, the plumbeous 

 wash so heavy that these parts are but little if any paler than 

 the mantle ; crissum pure white in marked contrast; throat and 

 sides of the neck pale or white. In winter, cap defective ; in 

 young, the same. Upper parts patched with gray, brown, or 

 rufous ; under parts paler or white ; a dark bar on the wing ; 

 outer webs of several tail-feathers dusky ; bill blackish or dusky- 

 red with yellow on the under mandible ; feet dull orange. Smaller 

 than hirundo, but tail much longer. Length, 14.00-17.00; ex- 

 tent, 28.00-30.00 ; wing, 10.00-12.00; tail, 5.00-8.00; bill, 1.20- 

 1.40; tarsus, only 0.50-0.67; whole foot, about 1.50. 



Like the Common Tern, the Arctic ranges all along 

 the coast, only less numerously than S. hirundo, and in 

 about equal numbers with S. doiigalli. There is noth- 

 ing in its habits to distinguish it from its relatives, a 

 full account of which has already been given. It is one 

 of the most elegant species of the family, with lithe 

 form, pearly color, and a sweep of swallow-like tail only 

 rivalled by the Roseate Tern ; while none of the family 

 surpasses it in buoyancy and grace of flight. The so- 

 called Portland Tern, S.portlandica* is simply the young 

 of this species. 



• See Ridgway, Am. Nat., viii, 1874, p. 433 ; Coues, Birds North- 

 west, 1874, p. 691 ; Brewster, Am. Sportsm., v, Jan. 16, 1875, P- 249- 



