78 COMMON TERN,
S t k » * A lliRirxwo, /.in».8jst, Nat., vol. i. p.227. Lti'i Iml. Orniili., vnl. ii. p. 807.
•Ch. li'jnaynrte, Synopsi* of Birds of ;iio; l>.ilod States, :if>4.- llii-karrls. and
Swains. Fauna Bor. Anfr. vol. ii. g. 412.
GREAT TERN, STERNA HNTXNIDO, WIFE. Amer. 0rmth.,vol. viai. p. 76, pi. 60, fig. 1 .
GREAT or COMMON TERN, WVMO Q,, Mar.iutl, vol. iu p. 271.
Adult Male, Plate; CCCIX,
Bill about, the same length as the, head, rather slender, compressed,
nearly straight* tapering to a narrow point.. Upper mandible with the
dorsal line slightly arched» the ridge rather broad and convex at the
base, Harrow towards ftio (aid, the sides sloping, -convex towards the
end, the: edges sharp and intloi'ted, the tip very slender. Nasal groove
rather long, and with a faint groove and ridge extending obliquely to
the edge; of the mandible;. nostrils sub-basal, linear, direct, pervious.
Lower mandible with the angle very narrow,, extending beyond the
middle, the dorsal line straight, the sides ascending and convex, the
edges sharp and inflected, the tip very acute.
Head of moderate: size, oblong; neck of moderate length; body
very slender, feet very small; tibia bare for a considerable space;
tarsus very short, slender, ¡compressed, covered anteriorly with twentytwo
small seutellaj laterally and behind with reticular scales; toes very
small, slender, the first extremely small, the third longest, the fourth
considerably shorter, the second shorter than the fourth in the same
proportion; the anterior toes connected by reticulated wobs, which are
deeply concave at their margin. Claws arched, compressed, that of
the hind toe smallest, of' the middle by much the largest, and having
the inner edge thin and dilated,,
Plumage soft, close, blended, very short on the fore part of the
head; the feathers, in general,, broad and rounded; wings very long,
narrow, and pointed.;, primary quills tapering to. a rounded point,
slightly curved inwards, the first longest,: .the rest rapidly graduated;
secondary quills, short, broad incurved, obliquely rounded, the inner
more tapering. Tail long; vory deeply forked, of twelve feathers, of
which the outer are tapering, the middle short and rounded.
Bill bright coral-red. black towards the end, the tip light yellow;
inside of mouth reddish-orange ; eye hazel. Feet coral-red, lighter
than the bill; claws brownish-black. Upper part of the head, and
the hind neck half-way down, deep black, the anterior part tinged
with brown, the posterior with blue. The sides of the head, the fore
COMMON TERN. 7 9
neck, and all the: lower parts, whiter with a slight tinge of greyishblue
on the breast; Hack, scapulars, and wings, light greyish-blue,
the edges of the wings, the rump, and upper tail-eoverts, 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. Thé
next five have the outer web, and a varying portion of the inner, in
nearly their whole length hoary, hilt at the same time with a dusky
shade, which becomes mure apparent at the ends ; the rest of the
quills are like the back, but margined and tipped with white.? - Tailfeathers
withrfcjinner webs white, the outer webs of the colour of the
back, paler on the middle feathers, gradually deepening outwards, and
on thecouter'feathers dark or! blackish-grey.
Length, to end.of tail lfi inches, to the fork of the tail 11, to end of
wings. 15|, to; end of claws 11.}; extent of wings 31|; wing from
flexure IL/s ; tail to end of lateral feathers 7,! 2 , to fork 3,'j ; bare part
ijf tibia ; tarsus ; hind toe and obnr f§, middle toe and claw 1^.
Woight;5-oz.
The female* ils, similar ,to the male, but rather smaller. In some
instances I have seen a small portion of the forehead white.
Length to end of tail 15 inches, to the fork 11 J, to end of wings
15J, to end of claws 11 ; extent of wings 30| ; wing from flexure 10j.
Weight f> nz.
The young in their first plumage, have the bill dull greenish-black,
with the tip yellowish ; the feet greenish-yellow.
In winter, the bill is black, with the base pale orange, and the tip
yellowish; the [feet orange-yellow. The colours are as in the adult,
the forehead white, the rest of the head dusky, the upper parts having
the feathers slightly margined with lighter.
Length to end of tail 12|, t.o the fork 11 ; to end of wings 14, to
end of claws 10^ ; extent of wings 29^ ; wing from flexure 85.
America and British specimens present no essential differences
when compared in considerable numbers. The outer web of the lateral
tail-fea,ther is blackish-grey, and the inner webs of the tail-feathers
are white in all the specimens collected for comparison. The tarsus in
American specimens varies in length from 9 to 10| twelfths, and the