THE BIEDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
apparently being given as “ evidently misprint for anoBstheta,'’^ after the 
primary reference to Sterna ancethetus. This extraordinary conclusion 
would seem to be based on the allowance of correction of errors of trans- 
literation which I had adverselj?^ criticised. 
Reference to Scopoli shows firstly, that lie did not consider Sterna to be 
masculine, the next species being named Sterna pileata ; secondly, Scopoli 
did not introduce ancethetus as an adjective, but as a noun : his usage of 
specific names was the same as that of most writers until very recent times, 
aU his common adjectives being commenced with a small letter, all his 
adjectives made from proper nouns and all his nouns in apposition being 
begun with a capital letter : and he wrote Sterna Ancethetus. 
A very casual knowledge of Linne recalled the latter name in connection 
with some sea-bird, and reference at once gave as a synonym of Sterna Stolida 
(10th ed., p. 137, 1758) 
“ Anaethetus minor fuscus, vertice cinereo, rostro glabro. Brown, Jam., 481.’’ 
Upon turning up Brown {Civil and Nat. Hist. Ja^naica, p. 481, 1756) there 
is found : — 
“ Anaethetus 1. Major, &c. The Booby. 
“ Anaethetus 2. Minor, &c. The Noddy.” 
Without any further investigation I conclude that Scopoli adopted 
Ancethetus as his species-name from the preceding or some other work, and 
that no emendation is necessary as no error of transliteration or any other 
kind is present, on the part of Scopoli. 
Regarding the specific name, as I have determined the correct spelling 
I here adjoin the original description. Scopoli in the Del. Flor. Faun. Insuh., 
pt. II., p. 92, 1786, included : — 
Sterna (Ansethetus) cauda cuneiformi ; remigibus rectricibusque umbrinis. Albo- 
nigricans. Caput nigro-maculatum. Alae subtus griseae. Rostrum nigrum, capitelongius : 
Maxilla superior leniter demum deflexa. In Guinea, p, 125, Tab. 84. 
A more inaccurate or misleading description could scarcely be framed, 
but the reference shows that Scopoli wrote his description from the figure 
given by Sonnerat, whose account and representation fairly apply to the 
immature plumage of this species. The type-locality is the Isle of Panay, 
Philippine Islands, and Gmelin’s Sterna panayensis {Syst. Nat., p. 607, 1789), 
and Latham’s Sterna panaya {Index Ornith., Vol. II., p. 808, 1790), fall as 
absolute synonyms as they were founded on the same bird. 
The next name to be given to this species was when Stephens in Shaw’s 
Gen. Zool., Vol. XIII., pt. i., p. 161, 1826, provided Sterna novce-hollandice 
for the New Holland Tern, thus : — 
St. fusca, subtus fronteque albo, dorso variegate. 
400 
