( 51)4 ) 



5(5. Sterna dougalli gracilis (i<nilcl. 



[stenin il(iii(](illi Mont., C>//'. Did. Snjipl. fig. (no paginatiou) 1813 (rocky 

 islands iu the Firtli of (.'iNile called Ciimbrae Islands).] 



Sterna gracilis Gould, /'. Z. S. 1845. p. 7(5 (Houtinan's Abrolhos). 



Si.K adult specimens, with wings measuring 115 — 124 mm. Si)ecimens from 

 Australia and the Papuan region are generally smaller than typical dougalli, and 

 mu>t be separated as a subspecies. 



A great many eggs were taken on July in, I'.jiil on Ysabel Island. According 

 to Mr. Meek there was only one egg iu each clutch ! Whether that is the full 

 number of the clutches there is not certain, but from the big holes in the eggs 

 1 should judge that it was. The number of eggs in the clutches of these birds is 

 remarkable. In northern countries (Europe), and even in the hot climate of the 

 ^Vest Indies (where one of us, Hartert, took many eggs on Aruba), Sterna (lougalli 

 has usually three eggs in a clutch, sometimes two only (all clutches on Aruba consisted 

 of three eggs each). ('am]ibell (3>.v/.s and Egg.t Austral. B. \t. H'M) says that on 

 the Abi'olhos he found only two in a clutch, while now Meek found only one in a 

 clutch. Probably the number of eggs in the clutches of the subspecies gracilis is 

 less. The eggs from Ysabel vary as usual very much, and measure 4(J : 2'J, 

 41 : 28i, 40i : 28i, 4i) : 2.sJ,, 44J, : 28J„ 41 : 281, 42 J : 28.\, 4i)J : 30, 44] : 3U], 

 41 : 281, 4U : 28!^, 41 : 21U, 3!li : 28{, 40^ : 28, 39 : 281, and so on. 



57. Sterna bergii Licht. 

 Sterna bergii Licht., \'erz. DonlA. p. su (1^23 : Cape of Good Hope). 

 Ysabel, 25. vi., 8. vii. IIMI]. 



58. Micranons leucocapillus (Gould). 

 Jinouf, leacocapillm Gould, P. Z. S. 1845. p. 103 (Raine I., N. Australia). 

 cJ ? fere adult, Ysabel, 2. vii. lUOl. 



LIST OF A SMALL COLLECTION OF BIRDS MADE BY 

 ME. A. S. MEEK OX TREASURY ISLAND, SOLOMON 

 ISLANDS. 



By the Hon. WALTER ROTHSCHILD and ERNST HARTERT. 



1. Edolii.ioma eri/t^irojji/gii(m .satKratiK.s liothsch. k Hart, d ? (cf. anted p. 582). 



2. M)/iayra Jerrocijanca Rams, i d% . 



3. Iliriindo tahitica Gm. ? . 



4. Mi no krejm (Scl.) c? J ? . 



5. Ilalcgon .vincfn.s Vig. & Horsf. J ?. 



6. Alcedo ispida ispidoides Less, c? <J ? . 



(Some specimens from the Solomon Islamls are of a most brilliant blue above.) 



7. J'Jo.'< cardinali.'i {(jra,y} S. 



!•. Cl/alcoplatp.'i .ite/j/iani inortoni Rams. <J. 

 '•I. ' arpophuga pristinuria Bp. ? . 

 lo. Sinox jacquinoti {^T^.). A tine series. 



