550 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 
the adoption of his name upon the following grounds : “ Le aom de macroura 
ne convient point a ma St. arctica ; elle a seulement une queue un pen plus 
longue que St. Mr undo, tandisque nous avons en Europe et a l’etranger des 
Steraes a queue tres longue, et que St. Dougalli a une queue extraordinairement 
longue, depassant les ailes souvent de plus de deux pouces.” The fact, however, 
of there existing other Terns with tails as long or longer than the species to which 
the name macroura was applied, would hardly be recognized by ornithologists 
as a valid excuse for setting aside a prior designation. Temminck’s descrip- 
tion is very accurate, but the dimensions given, (“ 13 pouces 6 ou 8 lignes”) is 
considerably below the average. 
I regret that I have never seen the immature or winter plumage of this spe- 
cies ; the more so, since, so far as I can discover, no description of these stages 
has been given by any American writer. They were unknown to Temminck. 
Degland* says that the winter plumage differs from that of summer only in the 
black of the crown being variegated with white. The same author describes the 
young before the first moult as resembling those of S. Mrundo ; but being a 
little smaller, the tarsus notably shorter, the bill slenderer and brown, with the 
base and cutting edge of the mandibles yellowish red. His description in other 
points does not differ materially from S. Mrundo. 
Degland also speaks of the occurrence of a hybrid of this species, and the S. 
Mrundo , partaking in a varying degree of the characters of either parent. 
Though I have never met with a specimen which I could not unhesitatingly 
refer to one or the other species, it seems not at all improbable that hybrids should 
really occur. 
The Sterna Mrundo of the authors quoted in the synonomy undoubtedly re- 
fers to the present species. Though in the description of S. nitzscMi of Kaup 
there are some discrepancies, I follow Gray in assigning it as a synonym. 1 have 
never had an opportunity of examining S. bracliytarsa of Graba, but quote it 
entirely upon the authority of Gray. 
Sterna Pikei, Lawrence. 
Sterna Pikei, Lawr. Ann. N. Y. Lyc. N. H., vi. 1853, 3. Id. Gen. Rep. Birds, 1858, 
863. Atlas, pi. xcv. 
Diag. — ( Adultus , vestitu hyemali ?) S. rostro tenue, fuscescente-rubro ; fronte 
albo griseoque variegato ; occipite nigro ; dorso alisque griseo-ccerulescenti- 
bus ; uropygio albo; cauda valde elongata, forficata, rectrice laterali pogonio 
externo fusca ; corpore subtus albo; pedibus rubris. 
Habitat. — Coast of California. 
I have before me the type of Sterna Pikei, the original of Mr. Lawrence’s des- 
criptions (1. c.) obligingly furnished by that gentleman for examination. This 
specimen, the only one known to exist in any cabinet, is unfortunately in im- 
mature or winter plumage, and in rather poor condition. The species is a very 
strongly-marked one, differing widely from any other of North America, not 
only in colors, but in form and proportions. In size it is considerably smaller 
than S. macroura , the wing being one inch or more shorter than in the average 
of that species; the tarsi and toes a very little less. The bill measures 1*12 
inches ; it is remarkably slender, i*s heigth at base being only *25 of an inch 
— just about equal to that of antillarum. The color is quite undefinable in the 
specimen before me, but, as remarked by Mr. Lawrence, is probably deep car- 
mine in life. The whitish front, becoming more and more mixed with grayish 
black towards the occiput, together with the plumbeous lesser wing coverts, 
are evidently those of an immature bird, probably of its first winter. The black 
of the occiput is quite pure, and extends on the sides of the head far enough to 
embrace the eyes. The marking of the primaries and secondaries are precise- 
ly those of S. macroura, and the color of the back and wings is much the same, 
* Ornith. Europ. 1849, ii. p. 345. 
[Dec. 
