AUSTKALIAN WHITE TERN. 
When NicoU wrote up the “ Valhalla ” birds in the Ihis, 1906, p, 669, he 
added : “ Gygis alba, however, ranges over the whole of the tropical portions 
of the Pacific and Indian Oceans ... I fully agree with Dr. Hartert 
{Nov. ZooL, Vol. V., p. 67) that Sparrman’s name Sterna alba should stand 
for the Common White Tern, the Sterna Candida of Gmelin . . . Sparrman’s 
description of his Sterna alba was evidently taken from specimens from 
the South Pacific.” 
This last sentence I disagree with, and would give my reasons in detail, 
as the settling of the correct usuage of S. alba seems very necessary. If 
Sparrman’s figure be studied there can be no valid reason urged for refusal of 
his name, as the shape of the bill is diagnostic. Its size forbids its acceptance 
for G. jmcrorhyncha Saunders. The bill is described as “ black ” : this was 
urged against its recognition by Saunders — ^who however admitted Gmelin’ s 
name, though there were as many faults in Gmelin’s description, including 
“bill black” — as the Pacific bird had the base of the bill blue, while both 
Lesson and Bennett write of the bill of their birds as “ blue ” only. 
When Hartert showed the necessity of using Sparrman’s name, he stated 
that the bill in the dried skin was dark and could be easily mistaken 
for black. Nicoll’s record of a black-billed form obviates the need of 
such excuse. 
When Latham described his Christmas Island bird, he noted that “ the 
shafts of the scapulars, quills, and tail, except the three outer feathers, are 
black . . . legs brown.” Lesson observed, “ les tiges des plumes sont 
brunes ” ; and Saunders, in his diagnosis of G. microrhyncJia defined, “ similis 
G. candidcB . . . rectricum scapis albis, nec nigris, distinguenda.” 
All the Pacific Ocean birds I have yet examined have wine-coloured 
or brown, scarcely black, shafts to the primaries and tail-feathers. Now 
Sparrman’s figure does not show any such dark-coloured shafts, the shafts 
being clearly painted white. 
The Atlantic Ocean birds, when adult, have white shafts, as in G. micro- 
rhyncTia, and only very immature birds have darkish shafts. I therefore 
conclude that Sparrman’s Sterna alba must be used for the Atlantic bird, and 
would designate Ascension Island as the type-locality. By so doing, if the 
South Trinidad birds are later proved separable, Nicoll’s name may be revived. 
Nicoll noticed that the nostril was situated much nearer the forehead in the 
xA-tlantic than in the Pacific birds. This effect is due to the feathering of the 
forehead approaching more on the culmen, so that it makes a different angle 
than is seen in Pacific birds. Nicoll further noted “ the biU was more slender 
and narrower at the base ” in the Atlantic than in the Pacific birds. If an 
441 
