THE SOOTY TERN. 
240 
The female is similar to the male. 
The young, after the first moult, are of a light greyish-blue colour on the 
upper parts, the feathers tipped and banded in an undulating manner with 
brownish-black ; the upper part of the head and the hind neck are of the 
latter colour, but mottled with white. The quills are as in the adult, the 
tail grey, with irregular brownish-black markings towards the tips of the 
feathers. The lower parts are also pale grey, but much lighter than the 
upper. The bill and feet are black, but the tip of the former has not yet 
assumed a yellow tint. 
THE SOOTY TERN. 
Sterna fuliginosa, Lath. 
PLATE COOOXXXH. — Male. 
Early in the afternoon of the 9th of May, 1832, I was standing on th. 
deck of the United States revenue-cutter Marion. The weather was yen 
beautiful, although hot, and a favourable breeze wafted us onwards ir 
our course. Captain Robert Day, who stood near me, on looking toward 
the south-west, ordered some person to be sent to the top to watch the 
appearance of land. A young lad was instantly seen ascending the rigging, 
and not many minutes after he had attained his post, we heard from him the 
cry of “ land.” It was the low keys of the Tortugas, toward which we had 
been steering. No change was made in the course of the “ Lady of the 
Green Mantle,” who glided along as if aware of the knowledge possessed by 
her commander. Now the light-house lantern appeared, like a bright gem,, 
glittering in the rays of the sun. Presently the masts and flags of several 
wreckers shewed us that they were anchored in the small but safe harbour. 
We sailed on, and our active pilot, who was also the first lieutenant of the 
Marion, pointed out to me a small island which he said was at this season the 
resort of thousands of birds, which he described by calling them “ Black and 
White Sea Swallows,” and again another islet, equally well stocked with 
another kind of Sea Swallow, which he added were called Noddies, because 
they frequently alighted on the yards of vessels at night, and slept there. 
Vol. TO— 32 
