766 
SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — LONGIPENNES— GA VI^. 
from feathers of side of lower mandible to tip 1.40 ; gape 1.90 ; gonys 0.75. A beautiful 
species, easily recognized by points of size and form, aside from color; this varies much with 
age and season, giving rise to many nominal species; among American synonyms are S. pikei 
Lawr., S. longipennis Coues, S. portlandica Ridg. Europe, Asia, Africa; N. Am. at large, 
northerly ; breeds from Massachusetts northward ; S. to Middle States and California, and 
probably farther. Eggs 2-3, not distinguishable from those of the two foregoing species, 
but averaging smaller. 
800. S. dou'gam. (To Dr. McDougall. Fig. 511.) Roseate Tern. Paradise Tern. Adult in 
breeding plumage : Bill about as long as head or foot, straight, slender, compressed, very acute : 
gonys longer than rami, former straight, latter concave in outline, with acute but not 
prominent angle between them. Wings shorter than usual, 1st primary little longer than 
next, all rounded. Tail exceedingly long and deeply forked, with very narrow filament(»us 
outer feathers. Tibiae slightly denuded ; tarsus a little shorter than middle toe and claw. 
Whole form trim and elegant. Bill black, the extreme point yellowish, the base for a little 
distance, and inside of mouth, red. Feet bright yellowish-red ; claws black. Cap lustrous 
black, very ample^ reaching to lower border of eyes ; under eyelid white, as is a streak to end 
of feathers on bill. Neck all around and entire under parts snowy white, tinted with lovely 
rose-pink. Mantle delicate pale pearly, over all the upper parts from the neck, includiug 
rump and base of tail, fading however to white on tips of tertials and inner webs of secondaries. 
Long tail-feathers white, with a faint pearly tint. Primaries grayish-black, strongly silvered 
when fresh ; outer web of the first blackish ; inner webs of all pure white for more than half 
their breadth, this white stripe broadest on the first, toward the base of which it occupies the 
whole web, and on all of them continued to and usually around the very tips ; shafts of all 
the quills white both sides nearly to end. Adult in winter : Bill dull black, with yellowish 
tip and brown base. Forehead and cheeks white ; crown, hind-head, nape, and sides of head, 
brownish-black, mixed with white on vertex. No rosy tint. Lesser coverts along edge ot 
fore-arm brownish. Tail without much elongation or forking, and pearly like the back. 
Young, newly fledged: BiU small, weak, slender, greenish-black, hardly 1.10; wings like 
those of adults. Tail merely forked an inch or so, pearly-blue on outer webs, almost white 
on inner, with subterminal edging of blackish. General color of upper parts light pearly- 
blue, variegated on most parts Mdth a delicate mottling of black and buff, the black chiefly 
in narrow zig-zag cross-bars, broken by the fawn-color ; on the wings the variegation in 
larger pattern, the feathers mostly black with yellowish border. Forehead and cheeks soft 
light grayish-brown, resolved on crown and hind-head into streaks of blackish and tawny, 
lost again in blackish (m the nape. A silvery-white spot before and above eye ; eye sur- 
rounded by black. A band of black along edge of forearm, where some of the feathers have 
yellowish tips. Under parts pure white, a little obscured Mdth gray on the breast. Length 
of adult 14.00-15.00; extent about 30.00; wing 9.25-9.75 ; tail 7.00-8.00, forked 3.50-4.50; 
bill along culmen 1.50; height at base 0.35 ; length of gonys 1.00, of mandibular rami 0.75; 
tibise bare 0.40 ; tarsus 0.85 ; middle toe and claw 1.00. This exquisite species inhabits 
Enrope, etc., and in N. Am. is known to occur along the whole extent of the Atlantic and 
Gulf States, in various W. I. Islands, and C. Am. ; l)reeds apparently throughout its range, 
Mdntering extraliinital. Eggs as in other beach species. 
801. S. supercilia'ris antilla'rum. (Lat. superciliaris, relating to the eyebrow, i. e. to the white 
frontal crescent; AntiUarmn, of the Antilles.) Least Tern. Much smaller than any of 
the foregoing; length about 9.00; extent 20.00; wing 6.60; tail 3.50, forked 1.75; bill 
along culmen 1.20; depth at base 0.28; tarsus 0.60; middle toe and claw 0.75. Young 
smaller; length 8.50; wing 6.25; tail 3.00; bill 1.00. Tail moderately forked, the lateral 
feathers scarcely filamentous, rapidly narrowing to acute tip. Bill about as long as head, 
rather shorter than whole foot, yellow tipped with black for i-i inch. Cap glossy greenish- 
