Volume Ii Part 38 (1/2)

This large Tern seems to occur on the Rio Parana, according to Azara.

It is certainly found in Southern Brazil, where Mr. Rogers obtained a series of specimens now in the collections of Messrs. Salvin and G.o.dman and of Mr. H. Saunders.

413. STERNA TRUDEAUII, Aud.

(TRUDEAU'S TERN.)

+Sterna trudeauii+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 147, _iid. P. Z. S._ 1871, p. 570; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1877, p. 200 (Buenos Ayres); _Saunders, P. Z. S._ 1876, p. 660. +Sterna frobeenii+, _Phil. et Landb. Wiegm. Arch._ 1863, pt. i. p. 125 (Chili).

_Description._--Above light grey; head white, with a dark transocular line on each side; rump white: beneath light grey; bill black, base and tip yellow; feet yellow: whole length 125 inches, wing 100. The young are pure white below, and have darker quills.

_Hab._ Coasts of S.E. Brazil, Argentina, and Chili.

This beautiful Tern, peculiar for its white head in the adult dress, was observed by Durnford on Flores Island in the Rio de la Plata, and in other places on the coast of the Argentine Republic. One was obtained near Punta Lara, in October 1876; and many more since by Mr. E. Gibson, Commander MacFarlane, and others.

414. STERNA HIRUNDINACEA, Less.

(Ca.s.sIN'S TERN.)

+Sterna hirundinacea+, _Saund. P. Z. S._ 1876, p. 647; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1878, p. 404 (Centr. Patagonia). +Sterna ca.s.sini+, _Scl.

et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 147; _iid. P. Z. S._ 1871, p. 570; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1877, p. 201 (Buenos Ayres).

_Description._--Head and nape black; mantle and wings grey, darker on the quills; rump white; tail pearl-white, darker on the outer streamers; underparts greyish white; bill blood-red; feet orange-crimson: whole length 150 inches, wing 115. _Young_: streaked on the head and mottled on the upper parts with blackish.

_Hab._ Patagonia, Chili, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, and Falkland Islands, up to Rio.

This is a black-headed Tern with a blood-red bill, which is found abundantly on the coast of Patagonia, and extends up the Atlantic coast to Rio. It was noticed by Durnford near Buenos Ayres, and found breeding by the same excellent observer at Tombo Point, about sixty miles to the south of Chupat, in December 1877. He tells us:--

”I was prepared when I visited this place in December to see a considerable quant.i.ty of birds; but the number that met my eyes fairly staggered me. Their nests covered an area about 150 yards square. Allowing three nests and five eggs for every square yard (a very moderate computation, it being difficult to walk without treading on the eggs), we arrive at the extraordinary number of 67,500 nests, 135,000 birds, and 112,500 eggs; and, wonderful as these figures may appear, I feel sure that I have rather understated than overstated the numbers. The nests were mere hollows in the fine gravel or s.h.i.+ngle, and contained one, two, and sometimes three eggs. The latter generally have the appearance of the eggs of the Sandwich Tern, though of course smaller; and out of many hundreds I did not see two alike.”

415. STERNA SUPERCILIARIS, Vieill.

(EYEBROWED TERN.)

+Sterna superciliaris+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 147; _iid. P. Z.

S._ 1871, p. 571; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1877, p. 201 (Buenos Ayres); _White, P. Z. S._ 1882, p. 628 (Misiones); _Saunders, P. Z. S._ 1876, p. 662. +Sterna argentea+, _Burm. La-Plata Reise_, ii. p.

519 (Parana).

_Description._--Forehead and underparts white; loral stripe, head, and nape black; back, rump, inner primaries, and inner web of tail pale slate-grey; outer primaries blackish; bill yellow; legs and feet olive-yellow: whole length 85 inches, wing 70. In the young bird the crown is grey.

_Hab._ The large rivers and the coast on the east side of South America.

This is a little Tern, belonging to the same group as the European _Sterna minuta_, with a uniform pale yellow bill. Durnford met with it at Baradero, and says that it frequents shallow inland lagoons and small streams, but is also found on the Rio de la Plata. Dr. Burmeister obtained it on the Parana, and White at Itapua, Misiones. Saunders shot it on the Huallaga, in Peru, 2800 miles inland.

416. LARUS DOMINICa.n.u.s, Licht.

(DOMINICAN GULL.)

+Larus dominica.n.u.s+, _Scl. et Salv. Nomencl._ p. 148; _iid. P. Z. S._ 1871, p. 576; _Durnford, Ibis_, 1877, p. 45 (Chupat) et p. 201 (Buenos Ayres), et 1878, p. 405 (Chupat); _Barrows, Auk_, 1884, p. 316 (Pampas); _Saunders, P. Z. S._ 1878. p. 180; _Withington, Ibis_, 1888, p. 472 (Lomas de Zamora). +Larus vociferus+, _Burm.