THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Examination of the whole of Carter’s specimens, along with a good snite 
collected about the same locality by Tunney, show that the birds do not appear 
to observe regular seasons for their plumage-changes. Carter’s specimens 
of “ Sterna frontalis ” were collected about the same days as he shot Sterna 
gracilis in full breeding-plumage. Thus a male collected at Point Cloates on 
January 22nd, 1899, has the bill yellowish with darker tips, but is otherwise 
in full breeding-plumage, although somewhat worn, it has not commenced 
to moult. Another male, killed on March 30th, 1902, has the data : “ Irides 
hazel, bill black, legs and feet coral red,” and is in perfect breeding-plumage, 
having completed its moult, all the feathers being new. 
Another bird, a female, killed January 21st, 1899, has the bill black and 
the feet look black while the forehead is white and the back of the head and 
neck dull brownish-black ; the outermost primary is old and worn brown, the 
second primary missing, the inner primaries all new. This was named 
S. frontalis by Mr. Carter. A fourth, also a female, killed on March 16th, 
1902, has the data, “ Irides hazel, bill, legs and feet black ” ; it is in similar 
plumage to the last mentioned, but has all the primaries new and perfect. 
This was also named S. frontalis by Mr. Carter. 
Of five birds procured on Bedout Island, North-west Australia, May 27th 
and 28th, 1901, a male has the “ iris black, legs red, bill black,” all new and 
perfect plumage except a few white feathers on the forehead and forepart of the 
lores : it would seem to be in a stage equivalent to about a fortnight or so 
earlier than the one killed on March 30th, 1902, noted above, yet it is 
two months later. The other four are aU in the “ frontalis ” plumage, but all 
show little differences ; and according to the collector they all have black bills, 
but one has “legs red,” two “dark red,” a fourth “almost black” ; and these 
differences are apparent in the skins. The one with legs red has moulted so 
far that all the primaries are new, but only the two centre tail-feathers are 
new, the others old and worn. One of the dark red-legged birds has not 
commenced to moult, but the primaries are worn, while the tail-feathers 
are brown and show the brown tips of immaturity. The other dark red- 
legged bird is in the middle of the moult, having only the three oute^ old 
primaries left, while the tail is new and perfect. The fourth, with the “ legs 
almost black,” is a stage further than the preceding, having only two old 
worn primaries left. 
Now, what is to be learnt from this ? Is it that the plumage we now 
ascribe to immaturity is the winter-plumage of the adult ? Or does the 
immature carry the immature-phase of plumage for a full year ? 
A bird, killed at Broome, North-west Australia (a female), on Novem- 
ber lOth, 1903, has the data, “ Iris and bill black, feet and legs fleshy-brown.” 
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