Part 151

From Texas to South Carolina. Common. Migratory.

Havell's Tern, Sterna Havelli, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 122.

435. 7. Sterna Trudeaui, Aud. Trudeau's Tern.

Plate CCCCIX. Fig. 2. Adult.

Bill about the length of the head, rather slender; wings a little longer than the tail, which is deeply forked. Bill black, with part of the base of the lower mandible, the edges of both, and their tips to the length of five-twelfths of an inch, yellow; feet orange, claws brown, toward the end yellow; a band of blackish-grey surrounding the eye, and extending toward the nape; fore part of head, cheeks, and upper part of throat, white; the rest of the upper and lower parts light greyish-blue, excepting the axillar feathers, lower wing-coverts, and rump, which are white; tail-coverts and tail greyish-white; primary coverts and quills hoary, but the outer five dusky grey on the inner web, toward the margin, and less so along the shaft, and on the outer web; the shafts of all the quills and tail-feathers white, as are the inner edges of the primaries and tips of the secondaries, the inner excepted. This species has the bill somewhat longer and more slender than that of Havell's Tern, and differently coloured; the tarsus longer, and the lower parts of the body of the same tint as the upper, whereas that species is white beneath.

Adult, 16; wing, 10-10/12.

Great Egg Harbour and Long Island. Rare. Migratory.

Trudeau's Tern, Sterna Trudeaui, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 125.

436. 8. Sterna arctica, Temm. Arctic Tern.

Plate CCL. Male.

Bill about the same length as the head, slender, and with the mouth and feet vermilion, tinged with carmine; wings about two inches shorter than the tail, which is very deeply forked; upper part of head and occiput greenish-black; sides of head and chin white; upper parts pale greyish-blue, the rump bluish-white, the tail and its coverts white, excepting the outer webs of the two lateral feathers, which are dusky grey; primaries dusky towards the ends, the two outer with their outer webs blackish, all with the greater part of the inner web white, secondaries tipped with white; neck, breast, and sides, pale greyish-blue, like the upper parts, but lighter; abdomen, lower tail-coverts, and lower surfaces of wings and tail, white.

Male, 15-1/2, 32.

Along the coast of the Atlantic in autumn and winter, sometimes as far as New Jersey. Common in Maine, Nova Scotia, and Labrador, where it breeds in multitudes, as well as on the Magdalene Islands, and on the shores of the Arctic Seas. Migratory.

Sterna arctica, Bonap. Syn. p. 354.

Sterna arctica, Arctic Tern, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 414.

Arctic Tern, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 275.

Arctic Tern, Sterna arctica, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 366.

437. 9. Sterna Dougallii, Mont. Roseate Tern.

Plate CCXL. Male.

Bill about the same length as the head, slender, brownish-black, deep orange at the base; feet vermilion; wings about three inches shorter than the tail, which is very deeply forked; upper part of the head and occiput bluish-black; hind neck white; the rest of the upper parts pale bluish-grey, the tail lighter; edges of wings, tips and inner edges of quills, and their shafts, white; first quill black on the outer web and part of the inner, the next two similarly marked, but with the black shaded over with pale grey, the loose barbules being of that colour, the other primaries becoming gradually lighter; lower parts of a beautiful roseate hue, soon fading after death; under surface of wings and tail white.

Male, 14-10/12, 30.

Florida Keys, where it is abundant, and breeds. Migratory.

Sterna Dougallii, Mont. Temm.

Roseate Tern, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 278.

Roseate Tern, Sterna Dougallii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 296.

438. 10. Sterna nigra, Linn. Black Tern.

Plate CCLXXX. Adult and Young.

Bill about the same length as the head, rather slender, brownish-black; feet reddish-brown; wings two inches longer than the tail, which is merely emarginate; head, neck, breast, sides, and abdomen, greyish-black; lower tail-coverts white, lower wing-coverts bluish-grey; upper parts dark bluish-grey, the outer web of the first quill greyish-black; shafts of quills and tail-feathers white. Young in second plumage with the upper parts greyish-blue, the feathers of the fore part of the back, and especially the scapulars, brown towards the end; the upper and hind part of the head greyish-black, of which there is a darker mark behind and another before the eye; forehead greyish-white, as are the sides of the head, the fore neck, breast, and abdomen; sides dusky grey; lower wing-coverts greyish-white.