864 
U. S. P. R. R, EXP. AND SURVEYS-ZOOLOGY-GENERAL REPORT, 
STERNA FEENATA, Ga ra be1. 
TJie Least Tern. 
Sterna minuta, Wilr. Am. Orn. VII, 1813, 80 ; pi. lx.— Bonap. Syn. 1828, No. 288.— Aud. Orn Biog. IV, 1838, 
175 .—Ib. Birds Am. VII, 1844, 119 ; pi. ccccxxxix. 
Sterna argentea, Nutt. Man. II, 1834, 280. 
Sterna frenata, Game . Proc. Acad. Sci. Phil. IV, 1848, 128. 
Sp. Ch.— Mult. On the forehead is a triangular white spot extending to the eye ; crown, occiput, and a line from the eye to 
the upper mandible, deep black ; entire upper plumage and wings clear bluish gray ; first two primaries, with the outer web 
and half the inner next the shaft, grayish black, ends of the same color, inner margins white, the shafts of these two quills are 
black ; the other primaries same color as the back, with the inner margins white ; tail same color as the back except the outer 
margin of the exterior feather, and the inner webs of the others at the base, where they are white ; entire under plumage 
silvery white ; bill pale orange yellow ; iris hazel ; legs and feet light orange red. 
Length, 8J inches ; wing, 6^ ; tail, 3| ; bill, 1‘ ; tarsus, 9-16. 
Ilab. —Texas to Labrador ; western rivers. 
Four specimens in the collection. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
When col¬ 
lected. 
Whence obtained. 
Orig’l 
No. 
Collected by— 
Length. 
Stretch 
ofwings. 
Wing. 
Remarks. 
1016 
4315 
1854. 
7.50 
6.50 
9005 
July 10, 1857 
9007 
8 
1857. 
6.75 
19.25 
6.25 
black. 
8999 
o 
July 2, 1857 
8.50 
19.00 
7.50 
HYDROCIIELIDON, Boie. 
Ilydrochelidon, Boie, Isis, 1822, 563. 
Ch. —Bill rather short, strong, the upper mandible curving slightly to the tip ; nostrils basal, lateral, and longitudinal, the 
frontal feathers reaching nearly to the opening ; wings very long and pointed ; tail moderate and emarginate ; legs short; the 
anterior toes slender, with the webs deeply indented ; hind toe small; claws slender and acute. 
We have hut a single species to represent this genus, which much resembles and is very 
closely allied to the European S. nigra. 
They frequent the salt water hays as well as the inland rivers and lakes. Late in the 
summer I have noticed them in compact flocks flying rapidly forward in the manner of some 
species of Tringa. 
IiYDROCHELIDON PLUM BE A, (Wilson.) 
TIic Short-tailed Tern. 
Sterna jjlumbea, VYils. Am. Orn. VII, 1813, 83 ; pi. lx. (Young.) 
Sterna nigra, Bonap. Syn. 1828, No. 289.—Sw. & Rich. F. B. A. II, 1831, 415.— Nutt. Man. II, 1S34, 282.— 
Aud. Orn. Biog. Ill, 1835, 535 : V, 1839, 642 .—Ib. Birds Am. VII, 1844, 116 ; pi. cccexxxviii. 
“ Sterna surinamensis, Gm.”— Bonap. Cons. Gav. Syst. Comp. Rend. XLI, 1855. 
Sp. Ch. — Adult. Head, neck, breast, sides and abdomen, black ; lower tail coverts white; under covering of wings ashy 
gray ; back and wings dark plumbeous gray ; the first four primaries grayish black, with their shafts white ; bend of the wing 
edged with white ; tail same color as the back ; bill brownish black ; iris brown ; legs and feet reddish brown. 
Length, 9| inches ; wing, 8 | ; tail, 3| ; bill, ]-*• ; tarsus, -§• 
Young. Back, wings and tail, light plumbeous, with the feathers of the back margined with brown ; top of the head and 
around the eyes brownish black ; front and under plumage white ; tail short and but slightly forked. 
Ilab .—Texas to the New England States, Mississippi river and tributaries, fur countries. 
There are several fine specimens in the collection. 
