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.