Sterna melanauchen Temminck, Pl. Col. (1827), pl. 427; Saunders,
Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1896), 25, 126; Sharpe, Hand-List (1899),
1, 137; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1901), 1, 195; McGregor and
Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 21.
Palawan (Platen); Cresta de Gallo (McGregor). Tenasserim, Malay
Peninsula, Nicobars, Andamans, northern Mascarene Islands,
Pacific Islands, Liu Kiu Islands, northern Australia.
"Adult in breeding plumage.--Forehead and crown pure white; in front
of the eye a black triangular patch, the apex of which does not
reach base of bill; behind the eye on each side and inclosing the
nape a band of black, broad and prolonged in the center; neck white;
mantle and rump delicate pearl-gray; shafts of all primaries white;
outer primary with the outer web blackish, and the streak next shaft
on inner web pale gray; the succeeding primaries palest gray next
the shafts on the outer and the inner webs, the inner margins of all
being pure white; tail long and forked, the middle tail-feathers pale
pearl-gray, the rest white; under parts glossy white, with a beautiful
roseate tint. Bill black; tarsi and toes dark brown to black. Length,
343; culmen, 41; wing, 216; tail, 152; depth of fork, 76; tarsus, 18;
foot with middle toe, 23. The male appears to have somewhat longer
streamers than the female; otherwise the sexes are alike externally.
"Adult in winter plumage.--Differs only in having less black in front
of the eye and on the nape.
"Immature.--Similar to the above, but there is a brownish tinge
to the black on the nape; wing-coverts ash-gray; a dark line along
the carpal joint; webs of the four outer primaries on both sides of
the white shafts dark ash-gray (outermost black), outer webs of the
tail-streamers also ash-colored.
"Young.--Forehead and crown buffish white, with black streaks which
become confluent on nape; feathers of mantle and tail gray, barred with
ash-brown and tipped with buff; primaries with a good deal of gray,
which throws into strong relief their broad, white, inner margins. Bill
ocher-yellow, horn-colored near the tip; toes yellowish brown.
"Nestling.--Above pale buff, spotted and streaked with black and
umber-brown; beneath dull drab." (Saunders.)
Genus ANOUS Stephens, 1826.
This genus is distinguished by its brown plumage and graduated
tail-feathers.