Jan., 18S8.] 



ELLIOTT SOCIETY. 



191 



ing to the Elegant Tern, and wMch is most beautifully evident in the Eoseate 

 Tern. In this latter bird this color is so intense that in an October specimen 

 in our cabinet, which, at this writing is over three years old, it is clearly evi- 

 dent. Nor was it the clayey color which the Black Skimmer in breeding plu- 

 mage shows to such advantage. It was more of a salmon pink, deepest on the 

 breast and suffusing the shafts of the wing primaries to their very extremities. 



The specimens, three of which were females, and one male, were adult, and 

 in perfect feather, save the tail of the male, which still lacked the full length of 

 the outer feathers on one side. They were not prepared for two days, during 

 which time the color remained apparently undimmed. But upon being made 

 into skins, there was a sensible diminution, and at the end of a couple of weeks 

 the color was barely perceptible. The specimens now show no signs whatever 

 of having had any unusual coloration. In a specimen in full feather shot on Dec. 

 26th, 1887, there was scarcely a perceptible presence of the color, though the 

 shafts of the wing primaries were as rosy as in the other specimens. 



We have never had the chance of shooting the bird in the breeding season, and 

 so are as yet unable to state the condition as to color in the nuptial plumage. 



One constant factor in determining Sterna maxima from Sterna elegans^ 

 where extremes in size might cause confusion, lies in the relative lengths of the 

 tarsi as compared with the middle toe and claw : We quote again from Dr. 

 Coues: " * * the toes in elegans are considerably shorter, compared with 

 the tarsus, than in maxima. In maxima the middle toe and claw are somewhat 

 longer than the tarsus ; in elegans the two are of about the same length. The 

 tarsus of maxima but very slightly surpasses the middle toe without its claw ; 

 the tarsus of elegans is nearly a fourth of its own length longer than the middle 

 toe without its claw." The smallest specimens of S. maxima wiU show also a 

 relatively stouter bill and heavier proportions than S. elegant. 



We append a table of the measurements of the four specimens of S. maxima 

 above described, comparing them with measurements given by Dr. Coues of S. 





LENGTH OF 



BILL ALONG 



CULMEN. 



DEPTH OF 



BILL AT 



BASE. 



LENGTH OF | 



1 



< 

 P4 



MIDDLE 



TOE AND 



CLAW. 



n 

 g 

 ^ 



1 



Sterna maxima. 



2 



3 



Our measurements. 



4 



2.50 



2.45 

 2.50 

 2.50 



0.70 

 0.70 



0.65 

 0.70 



1.10 

 I.IO 

 1.10 

 1.15 



1.65 

 1.50 

 1.60 

 1.50 



1.45 

 1.45 



1.45 



1.80 



1.30 

 1.25 

 1.25 

 1.25 



AVEKAGE. 



2.48 



0.68 



1.11 



1.56 



1.53 



1.26 



Dr. Coues' measurements. 

 Sterna elegans. 



2.60 



0.50 



1.40 





1.15 



1.25 



