234 THE CONDOR Vol. XXI 
the body proper but also the crissum, the basal half of the rectrices, the axil- 
lars, and the lining of the wing. There seems to be no sexual difference in re- 
spect to the depth of this blush. Slightly the pinkest happens to be a female © 
(no. 29579). Coues, curiously, states (loc. cit.) that ‘‘in winter’’ there is ‘‘no 
pink blush of under parts’’. Ridgway, by implication, says that there is; and 
our birds are all more or less pink. 
WEIGHTS (IN GRAMS) AND MEASUREMENTS (IN MILLIMETERS) OF SEVEN EXAMPLES 
OF STERNA ELEGANS FROM MORRO, CALIFORNIA 
5 
ss 3 
n So RH co} 
= DR “a O = 
S ° = w 
&9 5 Qa, C) 
re S ake Ke 
= S ° 2 
as a 2 2: 4. § 
Vert. o | = = = & Rum be Ls} 
Zool. Sex Date Collector ie = eS 5 F 8 AF & S 
29579 Q Sept. 22,1918 H.G. White 226.1 297 151 59.2 44.9 35.2 11.0 29.0 30.0 
29580 @ Sept. 27,1918 H.G. White 227.2 306 159 64.9 511 38.5 11.3 30.7 29.8 
29581 @ Sept. 28,1918 H.G. White 240.0 298 129 57.7 43.38 31.0 10.8 28.6 31.7 
29582 @Q Sept. 28,1918 H.G. White 209.9 289 182 55.2 41.7 31.4 9.4 27.6 28.5 
29583 ¢@ Sept. 28,1918 H.G. White 240.0 291 139 61.3 44.3 32.5 10.5 29.7 29.7 
29577 & Sept. 29,1918 J. Dixon 262.8 317 158 68.7 53:7. 3-ieee 30.3 31.6 
29578 @ Oct. 2,1918 J. Dixon 216.8 292 133 60.3 45.0 33.0 11.0 29.7 30.2 
Average 231.8 298.6 143.0 61.0 46.3 34.2 10.7 29.4 30.2. 
In measurements, as shown in the table given herewith, the Morro series 
holds closely to Ridgway’s specifications (loc. cit., p. 473). It will be noted 
that the angle of the lower mandible, marking posterior end of gonys, is far 
forward of the anterior end of nostril, so ruling out the possibility that our 
birds, or at least those with yellowish bills, might be representative of the spe- 
cies Sterna eurygnatha of eastern South America. This possibility suggested 
itself because this latter species is described (Saunders, Cat. Birds British Mus., 
xxv, 1896, p. 85) as having a ‘‘lemon-yellow”’ bill, and the ‘‘hind parts of the 
tarsi, the soles, and and the claws dull yellow.’’ Hurygnatha is stated to be 
identical with elegans except as to the color features just referred to and as 
to the extent of the gonys, which terminates posteriorly ‘‘immediately below or 
very little in front of the anterior portion of the nostril’’. On the basis of 
sum-total of characters, Sterna elegans is a sharply set-off species, and no diffi- 
culty need be experienced in identifying specimens in hand. Measurements 
alone, as given in the accompanying table, will suffice. 
In conclusion, the status of Sterna elegans in California, so far as known 
to date, may be stated as follows: Rather uncommon and probably irregular 
fall visitant northward along the sea coast as far as San Francisco Bay. Defi- 
nite stations and dates of occurrence: Pacific Beach (near San Diego), Sep- 
tember 21; vicinity of Morro, September 22 to October 4; Monterey Bay, Sep- 
tember 22 to October 29; San Francisco Bay (date not recorded). 
Berkeley, California, September 14, 1919. 
