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Show 1876.] MR. H. SAUNDERS ON THE STERNTN/E. 667 " Wideawakes," come every eight months to breed ; if true, somewhat remarkable. The foot of this species is webbed to the extremity of the toes, as shown in the drawing (p. 665). The young are dark on the underparts. Genus NJKNIA, Boie. NJENIA INCA (Lesson). Sterna inca, Lesson, Voy. 'Coquille,' ii. p. 731. no. 145, atlas pl. 47 (1826). Anous inca, Gray, Gen. Birds, iii. p. 661 (1849) ; Bias. J. f. Orn. 1866, p. 83. Nania inca, Boie, Isis, 1849, p. 189 (type of genus Nania); Bp. Compt. Rend. xiii. p. 773 (1856); Scl. and Salv. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 567 (Neotrop. Laridse); Gray, Hand-list, iii. p. 123 (1871). Larosterna inca, Blyth, Cat. Mus. As. S. p. 293 (1819), type of Larosterna. Inca mystacalis, Jard. Contrib. Orn. 1850, p. 32 ; Cassin, U.S. Expl. Exp. p. 391 (1858). Anous inca, Gray, Gen. Birds, iii. p. 661 (1849) Inca mysticalis, Jardine, Contr. Orn. 1850, p. 32; Cassin, U.S. Expl. Exped. p. 391 (1858)-Callao. This well-marked form seems fairly entitled to generic distinction, the white drooping plumes beneath the eye, and the wattled gape being found in no other species: the hallux is also connected with the foot by a rudimentary web ; the tail, however, is forked as in typical Sterna, removing it from any close relationship to Anous where some have placed it. It appears to be a rock-breeding species confined to the coasts of Peru and Chili. Genus GYGIS, Wagler. GYGIS CANDIDA (Gm.). ? Sterna alba, Span*. Mus. Carls, ii. fasc. i. No. 11 (1786); Gm. Syst. Nat. i. 2, p. 607 (1788); J. R. Forster, Descr. An. p. 179,ed. Licht. (1844). Sterna Candida, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. 2, p. 607 (1788). Gygis Candida, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1223, ex J. R. Forster, MS.'(type of Gygis); Gray, Gen. Birds, iii. p. 660 (1849); Gould, B. Australia, vii. pl. 30 (1848). Gygis alba (Span*.), Cassin, U.S. Expl. Exp. p. 389 (1858); Blasius, J. f. Orn. 1866, p. 73 ; Finsch & Hartl. Faun. Centralpolynes. p. 232 (1867); Gray, Hand-list, iii. p. 122 (1871). This beautiful and peculiar species is characterized by long slender toes with very deeply incised webs, and a graduated tail, approaching in shape that of the next genus, Anous. The shape of the bill is also peculiar, being broad at the base, aud slightly tapering upwards in front of the mandibular angle. To this form have belonged all the examples which I have examined, or the descriptions of which I have compared, from Madagascar and throughout Polynesia until we reach the |