ROSEATE TERN. 
433 
curved, and of a jet black-colour, except at tlie base, whicli is of a 
bright orange, extending about the eighth of an inch in breadth on the 
upper mandible from the corner of the mouth, round the front and 
round the nostrils ; and on the under mandible, extending from the 
angle of the mouth along the sides as far as the feathers on the chin, 
and rather beyond on the under part ; the inside of the mouth and 
throat bright orange, becoming darker towards the end of the bill ; 
irides black ; the tongue one half the length of the bill, of a pale red- 
colour, and bifurcated at the point ; the forehead, crown, hind part, and 
sides of the head, taking in the eyes, except a small portion of the 
lower part of the orbit, jet black ; the black feathers on the hind head 
thinly diffused, and flowing over the white down the back of the neck ; 
the feathers on the sides of the head, extending in a narrow line along 
the upper mandible to the nostrils, and on the sides of the neck white ; 
the whole under parts are white, but the fore part of the neck, breast, 
and belly, to beyond the vent, are tinged with a most delicate rosy 
blush ; the back, scapulars, and coverts of the wings pale cinereous- 
grey ; the quill-feathers are narrow ; the first has the exterior web 
black, with a hoary tinge ; the others are hoary on that part ; and part 
of the inner web next to the shaft of the first three or four is hoary 
black, becoming by degrees paler in the succeeding feathers, all deeply 
margined with white quite to the tip, and the shafts of all are white ; 
length of the wing from the elbow to the extremity of the first quill-feather 
nine inches and a quarter ; the tail is greatly forked ; the outer feather 
is seven inches long, extending two inches beyond the wings when 
closed, extremely slender, and the end for an inch or more slightly 
ciliated ; the middle feathers are scarcely three inches in length ; they 
are all white, destitute of any markings ; the legs and feet, including 
the bare space above the knee, which is nearly half an inch, are of the 
brightest orange-colour ; the claws black and hooked. 
Such is the description of this interesting species of tern, to which we 
add Doctor M^Dougall’s comparative observations: — ‘‘This tern,” he says, 
“ is of light and very elegant figure, differing from the Sterna hirundo in 
the size, length, colour, and curvature of the bill ; in the comparative 
shortness of the wing in proportion to the tail ; in the purity of the white- 
ness of the tail, and the peculiar conformation and extraordinary length 
of the lateral feathers. It also differs from that bird in the length, 
colour, and size of the legs and feet. From the sandwich tern it 
differs essentially in the shortness of the wings in proportion to the 
tail, and completely in the colour of the legs and feet.” 
From these notes, which Doctor M‘Dougall took upon the spot where 
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