1876. J MR. H. SAUNDERS ON THE STERNINvE. 647 



The egg is of the ordinary Tern-like character, with a trifle more 

 olive-green in the ground-colour than is usual in eggs of S. fluviatilis, 

 but which is not rare in a series of those of S. macrura. Dr. Kidder, 

 Naturalist to the American Expedition to observe the Transit of 

 Venus, describes the birds as very bold, swooping at the head of any 

 one who approaches their breeding-grounds, and actually scaring 

 the Skuas by their impetuous attacks. There can be no doubt that 

 this was the species obtained by the Americans ; but Dr. Coues is 

 mistaken in identifying it with S. vittata, Gm., of which he can 

 hardly have examined a genuine specimen, or he would never have 

 confounded two such perfectly distinct species. 



Sterna vittata, Gm. 



Sterna vittata, Gm. S. Nat. i. p. 609 (1788) (founded on La- 

 tham's Wreathed Tern, from Christmas Island) ; Pelzeln, Novara- 

 Reise, Vogel, p. 152 (1865) (full description). 



Gmelin's description, founded on Latham, fairly suits this species, 

 although I am inclined to doubt the correctness of the locality as- 

 signed, viz. Christmas Island, especially as there is no mention in 

 Cook's Voyages of any Tern being found there, except the Sooty 

 Tern, of which there is a full description. However, it has not 

 been applied to any other bird ; and in the Ornithology of the 

 ' Voyage of the Novara,' Herr von Pelzeln adopted the name for the 

 present species, obtained at St. Paul's Island, about 700 miles to the 

 north of Kerguelen Island, giving a full description, both in Latin 

 and German ; so that the name may fairly be accepted. The British 

 Museum possesses both adult (in breeding-plumage) and immature 

 specimens obtained at St. Paul's Island in January 1853, and also a 

 specimen from Kerguelen Island ; there is another, taken on board 

 H.M.S. 'Rattlesnake,' in 38° 22' S., 0° 25' W., on 2/th February 

 1847 ; and I have a specimen, also captured on board ship, near the 

 island of St. Helena, in April, for which I am indebted to my friend 

 Mr. £. Hargitt. In general appearance this Tern much resembles S. 

 hirundinacea, Lesson (S. cassini, Scl.) ; but it is decidedly smaller, 

 and more generally washed with grey below ; the bill, which is 

 red, is rather weak, and tapers very suddenly from the angle to 

 the tip. In the adult the tail is long, forked, and very white. It is 

 interesting to find a species which apparently has its head quarters 

 at St. Paul's Island, reaching down on the one hand to Kerguelen 

 Island, where it meets with another species closely allied to S. an- 

 tarctica of New Zealand, and then stretching away to the west of 

 our meridian and approaching the limits of the South-American 

 species, with which its affinities are undoubtedly strongest, and thus 

 connecting South America with New Zealand by way of the islands 

 of the South Atlantic Ocean. 



Sterna hirundinacea, Less. 



Sterna hirundinacea, Lesson, Tr. d'Orn. p. 621 (1831) ; Pucheran, 

 Rev. Zool. 1850, p. 539 (Santa Catharina, Brazil; type in Paris 

 Mus. examined, H. S.). 



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