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Show 414 • . , ~VES. which render their flight and carriage analogous to those of Swallows. Their bill is pointed, compressed, and' straight, without curve or projection; the nostrils, placed near its base, are oblong and pierced quite through; the membranes which unite their toes are deeply emarginate; consequently they swim but seldom. They fly over the waves in every direction and with great rapidity, uttering loud cries, and skilfully raising from the surface of the water the Mollusca and small Fish on which they feed. They also penetrate to the lakes and rivers of the interior. The most common species that is found on the fresh waters of France in the spring is, St. hirundo, L.; Le Pierre. Garin, &c., Enl. 987; Frisch, 219; Naum. 37, f. 52; Wils. VII, lx, 1. (The Common Tern.) In the adult state, white with a light ash-coloured mantle, black calotte, red feet, and red bill with a black point. It is about one foot long, and two feet from the tip of one wing to that of the other. St. minuta, L.; Petit llir. de mer, Enl. 996; Wils. V, lx, 2; Naum. 38, f. 55. (The Small Tern.) Only differs from the pre· ceding by being a third smaller, and having a white forehead. St. cantiaca, Albin. II, lxxxviii; Hir. de mer a bee noir, is larger than S. hi1·undo; the beak is black, with a yellow point: the St. striata, Gm., Lath. VI, pl. 98, is its young. St. caspia, Pall. Sparm., Mus. Carls., lxii; Meyer, Ois. d'Al· lem., II, vi; Sav., Egypt., Ois. pl. ix, F. 1. (The Caspian Tern.) The largest of the European species; white, with an ash coloured mantle; occiput, black and white mixed; red beak and black feet. St. nigra, fissipes and nrevia; Hir. de mer noire, Enl. 338 and 924; Frisch, 220. (The Black Tern.) The tail less forked; when young, its mantle is spotted with black; the adult is al· most entirely of a blackish ash colour. Among the species foreign to Europe, we should notice the Hir. de mer a aigrettes, St. inca, Less. and Garn., from the coast of Peru, Voy. de la Coq., Zool. pl. 47, which is black; red bill and feet; a band on the cheek, and the feathers of the ear pen· dent and white.(!) (1) Add of Europ. Spec.: St. Dougalii, Montag.; Vieill., Gal. 290;-St. anglica, Id., or aranea, Wils. VIII, lxxii, 6;-St. arctica, Tem.;-St. leucopareia, Natter.;St. leucoptera, Tern., Schinz., Ois., de Suisse, frontisp. Of spec. foreign to Europe: St. cayana, Enl. 998;-St. melanauchen, Tern. Col. 427 ;-St. melanogaster, Id. Col. 434;-St. fuligino.,a, Wils. PALMIPEDES. 415 We may also distinguish from the other Terns, rJ'nE NoDDIEs, Wh~se tai_l is not _for~ed, and is nearly as long as the wings. There 1s a shght proJeCtiOn under their bill, the first indication of that in the Mauves. But one species is known, St. s~olida, L.; Noddi noir, Enl. 997 (The Noddy), which is a blackish brown, top of the head whitish. Celebrated for the blundering manner in which it throws itself on vessels.(!) RHYNCHOPs, Lin. The Skimmers resemble the Terns in their small feet, long wings and forked tail, but are distinguished from all birds by their extraordinary bill, the upper mandible of which is shorter than the other both being flattened so as to form simple blades, which meet withou: clasping. Their only mode of feeding is by skimming their aliment from the surface of the water with the lower mandible, which they effect while on the wing. One species, Rhym. nigra, L., Enl. 357 (The Black Skimmer), is white, with. a black mantle and calotte; a white band on the wing; outside of the external quills of the tail white; bill and feet red; hardly as large as a Pigeon. From the vicinity of the Antilles.( 2) .. FAMILY III .. TO TIP ALMAT JE. The birds of this family are remarkable for having the thumb united with the toes by one single membrane, a mode of or ... ganization that renders their feet complete oars, notwithstand .. ing which, they perch upon trees, being almost the only Palmi .. pedes who do so. They all fly well and have short feet. Linnreus separated them into three genera, the first of which it was necessary to subdivide. (1) The St. philippensis, (Sonner. Voy. I, pl. Ixxxv,) does not appear to differ from the stolida,·-the St. fuscata, Lath., Briss., VI, pl. xxi, 1, also seems to belong to this subgenus, as well as the St. tenuirostris, T. Col. 202. (2) Add Rhyn. jlauirostri8, Vieill. Gal. 291;-Rh. cinera8ctna, Spix, CII;-R. breviroatril, Id. em. |