LAEID^— THE GULLS AND TEENS. 243 



Subgenus ACTOCHELIDON Kaup. 



Actochelidon Kaup, 8k. Eut. Eur. Thierw. 1829, 31. Type, Sterna caniiaoa Gmbl.,= 

 S. sanavicensis Gmel. 



SuBGEN. Chab. Next to Thatasseus the largest ol the Terns. Tail more than half as 

 long as the wing, forked for at least half its length ; feathers of occiput lengthened, pointed, 

 lorming a distinct crest; depth of bi;l at base much less than one third the length of ex- 

 posed oulmen; inner webs of primaries bloolored (dusky or slaty next to shaft, white along 

 edge). 



Sterna xaaxima Bodd. 



BOTAL TEBN. 



Popular synonyms. Gannet, or Gannet Striker, (Coast pf Virginia); Bedshanks (Florida*); 



Gaviota (Mexico). 

 Za Grande Eirondelle de Mer, de Cayenne Bufp. Ois. viii, 346. 

 Mirondelle de Mer, de Cayenne, Buff. PI. Enl. 988. 

 Sterna maxima Bodd. Tabl. P. E. 1783, 68 (ex PI. Enl. 988).— Sol. & Salv. P. Z. 8. 1871, 



567 (critical).— Saundeks, P. ZrS. 1878, 655 (do.).— CouES, 2d Check List, 1882, No. 794.— 



B. B. & B. Water B. N. Am. ii, 1884, 284.-A. O. U. Cheek List, 1886, No. 65.-KrDGW. 



Man. N. Am. B. 1887. 40. 

 Sterna cayennensis Gmel. 8. N. i, pt. ii, 1788,604. 

 Sterna cayana Lath. Ind. Orn. ii, 1790, 804, No. 2.— Nutt. Man. ii. 1834, 268.— AUD. Orn, 



Biog. iii, 1835, 505; v. 1839. 639, pi. 273; Synop. 1839, 316; B. Am. vii, 1844, 76, pi. 429. 

 Sterna galericulata Light. Verz. Doubl. 1823, 81 (typj in Berlin Mus.; determined by 



H.'S.). 

 Sterna erythrorhynchus Wied. Beitr. iv, 1833, 857. 



Sterna cristata Swains. B. W. Afr. ii, 1837, 247. pi. SO (type in Cambridge Mus.; ex- 

 amined by H. S.). 

 Sterna reaia Game. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1848, 223.— Lawb. in Baird's B. N. Am. 



1858, 859.— Baied, Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 683.— CouES, Key, 1872, 319; Oh&k List, 



1873, No. 662.— BiDGWs Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 681. 

 Thalasseus regius Game. Journ. A'sad. Nat. Sol. Phila. i, ad ser. 1849,228.— CouES.Proo. 



Acad. Nat. Soi. Phila. 1862, 539 (critical). 

 Sterna (Thalasseus) regia Ooues, B. N. W. 1874, 669. 

 "Sterna bergii" Ibbt, Orn. Str. Gibr. 1875, 209 (specimen examined by H. S.). Not S. 



hergii. Light. 1823. 



Hab. Tropical and warm-temperate parts of America, north to Long Island, Massa- 

 chusetts', Great Lakes, Utah(?), Nevada (?), and co.ist of California; South to Brazil and 

 Peru. West coast of Africa, north to Tanglers jIDalgleish, "Auk," January, 1884, p. 97). 



Bp. Chab. Nearly as large as S. tschegrava. Bill deep orange-red or orange. Tail 

 quite deeply forked. Adult, in spring: Entire plleum, inoluding occipital crest and upper 

 half of the lores, deep black. Upper parts pale pearl-gray (about as in 5. tschegrava), he- 

 oomiog white on the rump and upper tail-coyerts. Tail grayish white, tinged with pearl- 

 gray. Outer webs of primaries pale silvery gray, the outer q.uill darker; inner webs slaty 

 in a broad stripe next the shaft, the inner portion abruptly white, the dusky extending an- 

 teriorly near the inner edge of the web, except on the outer auill. Bill deep orange-red; 

 Iris dark brown: legs and feet deep black. Adult, in summer: Similar, but the forehead, 

 lores, and fore part of crown white. Bill uniform deep orange-chrome, paler at tip; edges 

 of eyelids black; iris dark brown; legs and feet deep black. Adult, in winter: "Young of 



"Fide W. E, D. Scott, in The Auk. Oct., 1890, p. 306. (But why?) 



