KEY TO THE WATER BIRDS OF FLORIDA. 199 
Genus HYDROCHELIDON Bote. 
HYDROCHELIDON NIGRA SURINAMENSIS (Gmel.) 
Black Tern. 
Adult in summer: Upper parts slaty gray; head 
and under parts black (except under tail coverts) ; bill 
and feet black. Adult tn winter: head white, with 
a black patch streaked with white on the occiput; 
upper parts gray. /mmature: upper parts mottled 
with buff or pale brown; sides ashy. 
Length, 9.50; Wing, 8.30; Tail, 3.60; Tarsus, .70: 
Bill, 1.10. 
The Black Tern occurs on the Atlantic 
coast from Florida to Prince Edward's Is- 
land, and on the west coast from Alaska 
to Chile. It breeds from the middle United States northward. The eggs 
are olive brown blotched with pale brown and chocolate brown. 
Genus ANOUS STEPHENS. 
ANOUS STOLIDUS (LZinz.). 
Noddy Tern. 
Adult in summer: Bill black; forehead white, 
shading into gray on the occiput; lower eyelid 
white ; front of the eye, and narrow superciliary line 
blackish; general plumage rich olive brown; 
primaries dark brown, the first having the inner 
web pale brown; legs and feet black. The imma- 
ture birds have the head grayish brown, whitish on 
the forehead. 
Length, 15; Wing, 10; Tail, 5.75; Tarsus, .80: 
Bill, 1.70. 
The Noddy Tern is a summer visitant to our Southern shores, and breeds 
in Florida on some of the Southern keys. It is abundant in the Bahama 
Islands and breeds there in June in great numbers. Only one egg is usually 
laid; but I have found two in a nest on several occasions. The nest, which 
is constructed of sticks and grass, is built ( on the Maraporvos Islands, 
Bahamas, ) upon the low cactus plants which cover the islands. Occasionally 
an egg was found in a depression of the rock without any nest. The eggs 
are buff white marked with reddish brown. 
