Part 150

Bill considerably longer than the head, rather slender, black, with the tips yellow; inside of mouth deep blue; feet black; wings longer than the tail, which is deeply forked; upper part of head and hind neck bluish-black; sides of head, neck all round, and the rest of the lower parts white, the sides and breast tinged with pink; fore part of back, scapulars, and upper surface of wings pale greyish-blue; the tips and greater part of the inner webs of the scapulars and quills white, as are the rump and tail; the four outer quills blackish, but covered with light grey down on the outer webs, and over a considerable extent of the inner, their shafts white. Young, after the first moult, of a light greyish-blue on the upper parts, the feathers tipped and banded in an undulating manner with brownish-black; the upper part of the head and hind neck brownish-black mottled with white; quills as in the adult; tail grey, with irregular blackish markings towards the tips of the feathers; lower parts of a much lighter pale grey; bill and feet black.

Adult, 15-3/4, 33-3/4.

From Texas, during spring and summer, to the Floridas, where it breeds in great numbers. Never observed in any other part of the coast of America. Migratory.

Sandwich Tern. Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 276.

Sandwich Tern, Sterna cantiaca, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 531.

432. 4. Sterna fuliginosa, Lath. Sooty Tern.

Plate CCXXXV.

Bill slightly longer than the head, rather slender, and with the feet black; tail very deeply forked, much longer than the wings; forehead white; lores, upper part of head, hind neck, and all the upper parts deep black, tinged with brown, on the head glossed with blue; edges of wings and lateral tail-feathers white, the latter with the inner web toward the end dusky; lower parts and sides of head and neck pure white. Young with the lower parts and forehead white, the upper parts greyish-brown, the feathers edged with brownish-white, the primary quills greyish-black.

Male, 16-1/4, 34-3/4.

From Texas to the Floridas, in spring. Breeds in immense multitudes on the Tortugas. Migratory.

Sterna fuliginosa, Bonap. Syn. p. 355.

Sooty Tern, Sterna fuliginosa, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. viii. p. 145.

Sooty Tern, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 284.

Sooty Tern, Sterna fuliginosa, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 263; v. v. p. 641.

433. 5. Sterna Hirundo, Linn. Common Tern.

Plate CCCIX. Male.

Bill about the same length as the head, rather slender, bright coral-red, towards the end black, the tip light yellow; feet coral-red, lighter than the bill; wings slightly shorter than the tail, which is very deeply forked; upper part of head and hind neck half-way down, deep bluish-black, anteriorly tinged with brown; sides of head, fore neck, and all the lower parts white, with a slight tinge of greyish-blue on the breast; back, scapulars, and wings light greyish-blue; edges of wings, rump, and upper tail-coverts white, slightly tinged with grey; first primary with the outer web deep black, the shaft white, on the inner web a greyish-black band running along the shaft, narrow at the base, and widening, so as to occupy the whole breadth of the web for an inch at the end, where it is hoary; the next five with the outer web, and a varying portion of the inner in nearly their whole length hoary, but with a dusky shade, becoming more apparent at the end; the rest of the quills like the back, but margined and tipped with white; tail-feathers with the inner webs white, the outer of the colour of the back, paler on the middle feathers, gradually deepening outwards, and on the outer feathers dark grey. Young, in first plumage, with the bill dull greenish-black, its tip yellowish, feet greenish-yellow; upper parts chiefly light brown. In winter, the bill black, with the base pale orange, the tip yellowish, the feet orange-yellow; the colour of the plumage as in the adult, the forehead white, the rest of the head dusky, the upper parts having the feathers slightly margined with lighter.

Male, 16, 31-1/2.

Breeds from Galveston Islands along the shores of the Atlantic to Labrador, and as far north as Lat. 57°. Returns southward in autumn, passing beyond the Texas. Extremely abundant.

Great Tern, Sterna Hirundo, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. viii. p. 76.

Sterna Hirundo, Bonap. Syn. p. 354.

Sterna Hirundo, Great Tern, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 412.

Great or Common Tern, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 271.

Common Tern, Sterna Hirundo, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 74.

434. 6. Sterna Havellii, Aud. Havell's Tern.

Plate CCCCIX. Fig. 1. Adult.

Bill about the length of the head, rather stout; wings a little shorter than the tail, which is deeply forked. In winter, the bill black, towards the base brown, and a small portion of the tip yellowish; feet orange; a broad band of black surrounding the eye, and extending toward the nape; fore part of head, cheeks, and all the lower parts pure white; hind head and nape dusky grey, mixed with white; the rest of the upper parts light greyish-blue, excepting the rump, which is white; the primary coverts and quills, as well as the tail-feathers and their coverts, hoary, with the shafts white, but five of the quills dusky on the outer web, on the inner along the shaft, and on the inner margin toward the end. Young, in winter, with the bill somewhat shorter, and more tinged with brown, the lower parts, rump, outer web of lateral tail-feathers, and sides of neck, white; wings as in the adult, but the primaries internally margined with white, and the secondaries tipped with the same; upper part of the head, and the rest of the upper parts, light yellowish-brown, intermixed with greyish-blue; a band of black on the sides of the head, as in the adult.

Adult, 15-1/2, wing, 10-8/12.