48 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



whitish, sparsely speckled or spotted, chiefly round larger end, with brown and 

 purplish gray. 



a 1 . Lores dusky, in abrupt and marked contrast with the hoary of the forehead. 

 b 1 . Only the forehead distinctly whitish. 



Uniform sooty brown, becoming gradually grayer on neck, and pass- 

 ing gradually through intermediate shades to white on forehead; 

 quills nearly black. Young (?) : Similar, but head uniform grayish 

 brown, the frontlet hoary grayish. Length 13.00-16.35, wing 10.00- 

 10.50, tail 6.00, culmen 1.75, depth of bill at base .38. Egg averaging 

 2.06 X 1-37. Hab. Intertropical seas generally, also coast of south- 

 ern Atlantic and Gulf States 79. .A. stolidus (Linn.). Noddy. 



V. Whole top of head distinctly whitish. 



c 1 . White of crown changing gradually into ashy on hind-neck ; plumage 

 of body, etc., sooty brown. Hab. Intertropical seas and coasts 

 generally, including Gulf coast of Mexico. 



A. melanogenys Gray. Black-cheeked Noddy. 1 

 <?. White of crown abruptly defined against sooty brown of hind-neck ; 

 plumage of body, etc., sooty black. Hab. Southwestern Pacific. 



A. leucocapillus Gotjld. White-crowned Noddy. 3 



a % . Lores hoary whitish, like forehead. Hoary ash of occiput and hind-neck 



changing gradually into sooty brown on chin and throat, the cheeks being 



grayish. Hab. Indian Ocean. 



A. tenuirostris (Tbmm.). Slender-billed Noddy. 3 



Family RYNCHOPIDiE.— The Skimmers. (Page 20.) 



Genera. 

 (Characters same as given for the Family) Rynchops. (Page 48.) 



Genus RYNCHOPS Linnjeus. (Page 48, pi. VI., fig. 5.) 



Species. 



a 1 . Secondaries very broadly tipped with white ; tail white, only the middle pair 

 of feathers grayish or dusky; under wing-coverts white. Summer adult: 

 Forehead, sides of head, and entire lower parts, white ; upper parts, including 

 hind-neck, top of head, and ear-coverts, black, the secondaries and inner pri- 

 maries broadly tipped with white ; tail white, the middle feathers chiefly 

 grayish brown ; basal half of bill, with legs and feet, bright vermilion-red 

 in life (changing to dull whitish in dried skins) ; terminal portion of bill 



1 Anoue melanogenys GnAY, Gen. B. iii. 1849, 661, pi. 182. 



2 Anous leucocapillus Gould, P. Z. S. 1845, 103 ; Birds Austr. pt. vii. 1848, pi. 35. 



3 Sterna tenuirostris Tbmm., PI. Col. 202 (1838). Anous tenuirostris Sacnders, P. Z. S. 1876, 670, pi. 61, 

 fig.l. 



