ROSEATE TERN* 
89 
The plumage in summer is, from the ridge of the upper 
mandible over the head, including the regions of the eyes, 
nape, and hind part of the neck, black ; the back, scapulars, 
wing-coverts, and quills gull-grey ; the tertials are tipped with 
white ; the ends of all the quills edged on their inner webs 
with white ; their tips and a small portion of their outer 
webs the same; the four longest feathers of the wings are 
black, with white borders, and the web of the outer quill- 
feather black ; the chin, and all the under parts, including 
the tail and tail-coverts, are white; the breast is tinged with 
a perfect red, like that of the blush rose; but this colour 
fades soon after death. The beak is black; its base orange- 
red ; the legs and feet are yellowish-orange; claws black ; 
the eyes are deep brown. 
The plumage of the young bird is very different; but 
the colours of the legs and beak are a very sure guide to the 
young ornithologist. The forehead is white; the region of 
the eyes, and the top of the head are black, with narrow 
white borders to the feathers ; the back of the head, the 
nape, and back part of the neck, are black ; the chin, throat, 
and under parts are white, but not pure ; the back, scapulars, 
wing-coverts, tertials, and quills, are deep gull-grey; the 
back-feathers strongly barred with umber-brown ; the lesser 
wing-coverts faintly so; the tertials have a brown border, 
with a white edge ; the last of the wing-coverts tipped with 
white, as well as the secondaries, forming two narrow white 
bars across the wing; the tips of the quills dusky black, 
with pale edges ; the outer web of the longest quill-feather, 
and the longest tail-feather, are black ; the beak is dusky, 
its lower base yellow ; legs and feet are Naples yellow ; 
the eyes dusky. 
The egg figured 292, is that of the Roseate Tern. 
