400 LARIDA. 
the Old World, as well as America, where, however, it is not often noticed on the 
Pacific coast. 
As Mr. Howard Saunders points out, the characters of the genus are somewhat 
intermediate between those of the Gulls and Terns, and this remark also applies 
to the eggs, 
1. Gelochelidon anglica. 
Sterna anglica, Mont. Orn. Dict. Suppl. cum fig.’; Baird, Brewer, & Ridgway, Water-Birds 
N. Amer. ii. p. 2777. 
Gelochelidon anglica, Coues, Ibis, 1864, p. 389°; Salv. Ibis, 1865, p. 190‘; 1866, p. 199°; Scl. & 
Salv. P. Z. S. 1871, p.572°; Lawr. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 517; Sumichr. La Nat. 
Vv. p. 234°; Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxv. p. 25°; Oates, Cat. Eggs Brit. Mus. 
1p. 177%. 
Sterna aranea, Dresser, Ibis, 1866, p. 44". 
Gelochelidon nilotica, A. O. U. Check-l. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 22”, 
Pril. estiv, Supra pulchre margaritacea, secundariis intimis et rectricibus albicantioribus ; primariis intus 
cineraceis, rhachidibus albis ; pileo toto nigerrimo; loris et facie laterali et corpore subtus toto albis; 
Subalaribus et axillaribus albis, majoribus et remigibus intus margaritaceo-albis: rostro nigro; pedibus 
brunnescenti-nigris; iride saturate brunnea. Long. tota circa 13-0, ale 11:8, caudz 4:7, culm. 1°7, 
tarsi 1-15. (Descr. maris adulti ex Corpus Christi, Texas. Mus. nostr.) 
Ptil. hiem. Supra margaritacea, pileo vix albicantiore; macula anteoculari parva nigra; regione parotica 
summa schistacea ; corpore subtus toto pure albo. Long. tota circa 12:0, ale 10-7. (Deser. avis adult 
ex Chiapam. Mus. nostr.) 
Hab. Norra America, chiefly on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, 
breeding north to New Jersey, and wandering casually to Long Island and 
Massachusetts 1?.—Muxico, Matamoros (Dresser? "), coast of Gulf of Tehuan- 
tepec®, San Mateo’ (Sumichrast); Guatemata, Pacific coast, Chiapam Lagoon 
(O. S. 234%) —Arzantic coast or Sour AMERICA to Argentina °.—TEMPERATE 
AND WARM REGIONS OF THE OLD WokrLp to Australia (breeding), extending in Africa 
as far as Fashoda. 
This is a bird of very wide distribution, frequenting the sandy shores of the sea- 
coasts and inland lakes, and breeding throughout the greater part of its habitat. 
The Gull-billed Tern has been recorded by Wilson and Audubon as breeding in the 
salt-marshes of Cape May and at the mouth of the Mississippi, and it is also known to 
breed as far north as southern New Jersey; but it has not been found nesting in 
any part of Central America, though eggs have been taken by Gundlach in Cuba 2. 
Mr. Dresser met with the species breeding on Galveston Island in June 11. 
In Mexico it was noticed by Sumichrast in the Gulf of Tehuantepec’ 8, and Salvin 
found it frequenting the lagoon of Chiapam, on the Pacific coast of Guatemala, where, 
however, it did not congregate in any numbers, two or three only being observed 
in company 4. 
The nest is a mere depression scratched in the sand, with sometimes a few straws 
