STERNULA PLACENS, Gould.

Torres-Straits Tern.

Sternula placens, Gould, Ann. Nat. Hist. [4] viii. p. 192 (1871)

 

A oe example of this species has been in my collection for many years ; but I hesitated to describe it
until 1871, when I received from Mr. Waterhouse, the Curator of the Adelaide Museum, a second
individual. I carefully compared these materials with the Australian Sternula nereis and the European
Sternula minuta, as well as with its allies inhabiting North and South America; and with none of these
did it agree. Its nearest ally seemed to be the European species; but from this it differs in having
considerably longer wings, in the snow-white hue of the shafts of the primaries, and in the larger and mele
defined mark of black on the tips of the mandibles. From S. nereis it is distinguished by having black
instead of white lores.

It is now nearly five years since I placed the description of this little Tern before the scientific world, and
as yet I have seen no attempt to reconcile the species with any one previously described. But it would be
unfair to my friend Mr. Howard Saunders, who is making the family of Laride his especial study, if I did
not admit that he has privately given me his opinion that my supposed new species may ultimately prove to
be the Sterna sinensis of Gmelin. At present, however, he is not quite prepared to assert this positively ;
and therefore, in view of the different opinions at prese
authorities, I have deemed it not unadvisable to give a care
At the same time there would |

nt prevailing in the mind of one amongst our best
ful figure of the bird, to aid in the further
disentanglement of the question. ye nothing extraordinary in the fact of a
Chinese Tern wandering into Australian water:

6 ° . Y . 5
of the allied species—to wit, Sternula minuta xc.

s, as the range of the species, even then, would be small
compared with that of some
The following is the description published (Z. ¢.) :—
Adult male.—Bill yellow, with the apical third of both ma
ad white, advancing over each e
surface of the body and wing-coverts grey the first
the shaft itself and the outer
the remainder

ndibles black, as sharply defined as if they had

been dipped in ink: forehe ye to near its posterior angle; lores, a narrow
~ 3 \

line above the eyes, crown, and nape black ; upper

b, and along the ‘nner web next the shaft ;

a little less strongly marked ;

all the under surface of the body silky white ;

primary slaty black on the outer we

half of the inner web white; the secon
with lighter shafts; throat and

1 primary similarly but

of the primaries silvery grey,
tail white; feet yellow. ee eee
Total length 10 inches, bill from gape 12, wing 72, tail 48, tarsi 4.
Hab. Torres Straits.

d is of the natural size.
The figure given 1n the Plate

is taken from a male, av

 

 
   
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
   
 
  
 
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
   
  
   
       

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