176 Zoological Society : — 



j^^ths in length, by 1 inch in width. Some of the eggs were nearly 

 white, others much discoloured. 



Family Pelecantd^. Subfamily Larid^e. 



Genus Sterna. 



Subgenus Sterna. 



Sterna melanogaster (Temm.). Black-bellied Tern. 



I found this Tern common on the river Bheena, and was fortunate 

 enough to obtain an egg. On a second occasion, when walking on a 

 sand-bank in the midst of the river where I obtained the first egg, I 

 was beset by a pair of these Terns, and on looking about on the 

 ground, found two eggs deposited in a slight hollow scraped in the 

 moist sand, not far from the brink of the water. These birds, when 

 flying overhead, utter a cry very like the chirp of a Sparrow. One 

 could easily distinguish the different kinds of Terns by their varied 

 notes. 



The Black-bellied Tern breeds during the months of March and 

 April, laying two eggs. The egg measures 1 inch and rather more 

 than ^ths in length, by 1 inch in width. It is of a rich stone-colour, 

 spotted chiefly round the centre, and more sparingly over the large 

 end with grey and light brown spots. 



Subgenus Rhyn chops. 



Rhynchops nigra. 



This large species of Tern I found most abundant on the river 

 Bheena, and had ample opportunities of studying its habits. On a 

 large sand-bank in that river I found that a large colony had esta- 

 blished themselves, and found young birds able to fly, nestlings and 

 eggs. The appearance of these birds is attractive, their long 

 orange razor-like beak, long wings, and curious skimming flight, 

 ever and anon dipping their lower mandible under water, their odd 

 shuffling gait when walking on the sand, as if they scarcely knew 

 what to do with their beak, and apparent difficulty in arranging 

 their long swift-like wings, their curious chattering notes when they 

 assemble on some spit of sand at the water's edge, — all these points 

 attract any one fond of natural history. 



I first noticed these birds on a mud-bank in the river in the month 

 of January. On visiting the same place in April, I found them on 

 a sand-bank higher up, and suspecting this to be their breeding- 

 time, was conveyed over the water to the bank. On reaching it and 

 narrowly inspecting the ground, I found the remains of broken egg- 

 shells ; after a further search, I was rewarded by finding four or 

 five nests, also the nest of a Little Ringed Plover and Black-bellied 

 Tern. The Rhynchops lays four eggs in a hole scraped in the 

 damp sand and gravel. Those which I found were mostly near the 

 water's edge. In some nests I found young ones, and procured one 

 young bird that was able to fly very fairly. Any one at all accus- 

 tomed to the habits of birds might have told that they were nesting 



