THE CASPIAN TERN. 



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brown ; under -parts white often with buffish tinge and throat and 

 chin dusky. 



Juvenile. — Fore -head, upper -lores, crown, and nape brown- 

 black, streaked grey-buff, each feather being fringed grey-buff ; 

 lower -lores blackish-grey, below eye and ear-coverts black, feathers 

 with white bases and grey fringes ; back of neck white, slightly 

 mottled dark grey ; mantle grey, feathers tipped buff and with 

 subterminal brown spots ; upper -scapulars same but with wider 

 buff tips and black-brown irregular v-shaped subterminal marks ; 

 lower scapulars dark grey edged and tipped greyish-white ; back 

 and rump paler grey, feathers fringed hoary ; upper tail -coverts 

 almost white with dark brown spot-like subterminal marks ; whole 

 under-parts white ; tail-feathers with blackish distal portions, 

 extreme tips buffish -white, outer webs with some silver-grey 

 especially on outer feather and proximal part of rest, proximal 



Bill of the Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia). 



portions of inner webs whitish, two central pairs more tinged silver- 

 grey and with one or two brown-black subterminal bands divided 

 with buffish-white ; primaries brown-black, outer webs washed silver- 

 grey, inner feathers edged and tipped white, shafts pale- brown or 

 brownish-white ; secondaries blackish-grey tipped and with most 

 of inner webs white, innermost feathers tinged buff at tips and with 

 black-brown subterminal marks ; primary -coverts blackish, washed 

 silver-grey, narrowly edged whitish at tips ; greater coverts dull 

 grey, edged and tipped whitish tinged buff, innermost feathers with 

 subterminal black-brown marks ; median coverts paler grey, tipped 

 buff ; lesser coverts with dark grey centres and rjale grey fringes. 



First winter. — Like adult winter but crown and especially 

 fore-head and lores usually more heavily streaked black ; mantle 

 and scapulars duller grey ; primaries, secondaries, primary-coverts, 

 and tail-feathers as juvenile but still blacker through wear. The 

 juvenile body-plumage and wing-coverts are moulted Oct.-Jan. but 

 not remiges or rectrices. Summer. — A complete moult takes place 

 Jan. -July. Like adult winter but as in first winter fore-head, lores, 



