832 A'ESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



sheet of water, and in the other two miles away from the nearest water. 

 At both places himdreds of birds were breeding, and the eggs, two in 

 number for a sitting, were deposited on the bare gi'ound, and so closely 

 together that care was required when wallfiug so as not to step upon 

 tliem. " 



Concerning tlie Giill-billcd Tein breeding in extra-Australian localities, 

 it is interesting to learn that from the Persian Gidf Colonel Butler 

 wi'ote as follows to Mr. Allan Hume : — There were two species of Terns 

 breeding in separate colonies on different parts of the island (Warba), 

 viz., Sterna caspia and the present species. In each case the nests, 

 which were veiy abimdant, were built about a foot apart and consisted 

 of a small movmd of sand, scraped together by the birds, from 3 to 5 

 inches high, with small twigs and sticks laid on tlie top for the eggs to 

 rest upon. Most of the nests contained tliree eggs, all more or less 

 incubated. Skins of both species (S. caspia and <S'. anglira) were 

 forwarded to me with the eggs for identification ; and as there were no 

 other birds on the island at the time, except a few Common Herons 

 (A. cinerta ), that had also just commenced breeding, I think there can 

 be no doubt of the identity." 



641. — H\T)ROPEOGNE c.\spiA, Pallas — (600) 

 CASPIAN TERN. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vii., pi. 22. 



Referenfe. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxv., p. 32. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould : Birds of Australia (1848) , 

 also Handbook, vol. ii., p. 393 (1865); Potts: Trans. New 

 Zealand Inst., vol. ii., p. 76 (1870) ; Legge : Birds of Ceylon, 

 p. loio (1880); BuUer ; Birds of New Zealand, vol. ii., p. 74 

 (1888); North: Austn. Mus. Cat., p. 353, pi. 20, fig. 3 (iSSg). 



Gengraphiral Dixfrihiition. — Seas of Austi'alia and Tasmania ; also 

 New Zealand, and various other localities in both the Old and New 

 Worlds. 



Nestt. — Merely a .slight hollow (about 7A inches acro.ss by H inches 

 deep), in coarse, sandv earth, amongst pig-face weed, &c. ; usually situated 

 on the rocky summit of an islet, sometimes on a sand-spit at the mouth 

 of a river. 



Eijr/x. — Clutch, two to three ; inclined to oval in shape ; texture 

 of shell coarse ; surface slightly glossy ; colour, stone-grey or hght 

 olivc-browu, moderately hlotclicd ,ind spotted with roundish markings 

 of umber and dull grevish-black. Dimensions in inches of a proper 

 clutch : (1) 2-48 X 1-68, "(2) 2'41 x 1-62, (3) 2-36 x 1-7. (Plate 23.) 



Obnervotinns. — This truly powerful Tern is a splendid bird, and is 

 easily recognized by its large size and beautiful silvery plumage, with 

 crown of head black in breeding season, relieved by a hea\'}' scarlet bill. 



