NATATORES. 



385 



in the Museum of the Philadelphia Academy. It is apparently a 

 species peculiar to the sea-coasts of the Southern Pacific Ocean. 



4. Sterna meridionalis, Nobis. 



Sterna antarctica, Peale, Zool. U. S. Exp. Exp. Birds, p. 280 (1848, not of Lesson, 

 Traits, p. 621, 1831, nor of Foster, Desc. p. 107, 1844). 



Sterna hirundo, Prince Maximilian of Wied, Beitrage, IV, p. 805 ? 

 Sterna hirundo^ FosT. Desc. An. p. 313 ? 



Aud. B. of Am. PI. CCL; oct. ed. PI. CCCCXXXVI? 



Form. — Very similar to that of Sterna arctica and Sterna hirundo, but 

 is larger than either, and has the bill disproportionately longer and 

 more robust ; tarsi and tail longer. Bill long, rather stout ; wings 

 long, first primary longest; tail deeply forked, and with the feathers 

 gradually tapering, and pointed at the ends ; legs moderate ; feet 

 rather small; toes fully webbed; shafts of primary strong, flattened. 



Dimensions. — Total length (of skin), fifteen inches; wing, twelve 

 inches ; tail, seven and a quarter inches. 



Colors. — Head above, and occiput black ; back and wings very light 

 cinereous ; neck behind, rump, and entire under parts, white. Quills 

 darker cinereous ; first primary, with its outer web black ; all the pri- 

 maries bordered with w^hite on tHe inner webs ; shafts of primaries, 

 white. Tail white, external feathers with their outer webs, pale 

 cinereous. Bill scarlet ; feet orange ; middle claws black. Colors 

 generally lighter than those of S. arctica, or S. Iiirundo. 



♦ 



Hab. — Southern coasts of South America. Orange Bay. Speci- 

 men in collection, Exp. Exp. and Acad. Philadelphia. 



We much suspect that this is the bird figured by Mr. Audubon, and 

 described by him as identical with Sterna ai'ctica, Temm. Of the bird 

 of the coast of North America we have never seen a specimen, but 

 the figure alluded to does not represent the species given by European 

 naturalists under that name, and of which numerous specimens are in 



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