8^ A'ESTS A. WD hGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



647. — Sterna tuliginosa, Giueliu. — (,611) 

 SOOTY TERN. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vii., pi. 32. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. ,\xv., p. 106. 



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

 also Handbook, vol. ii., p. 410 (1865) ; Audubon : Birds of 

 America, vol. vii., p, 252 (1844); Legge : Birds of Ceylon, 

 p. ioj8 (1S80) ; Crowfoot (Metcalfe): Ibis, p. 266 (18S5) ; 

 North : Austn. Mus. Cat., p. 357 and app., pi. 21, fig. i (iSSg) ; 

 Hume — Dates : Nests and Kggs of Indian Birds, vol. iii., 

 p. 303 (1S90). 



Geographical Distrihution. — Seas of Austi'alia in general and Tas- 

 mania ( ?) ; also tropical and .siib-tropical seas where suitable islands 

 and reefs exist. 



Nest. — A bare spot on the sand, on rocks, or upon the ground under 

 bu.shes. Nests in great conipanius upon certain suitable islands, and 

 usually associated with those of the Noddies (Anoua stoUduf). 



Eyg^. — Clutch, one ; broad oval in shape ; textm-o of shell com- 

 paratively fine ; suiiace slightly glossy ; c oloiir, varies from warniish- 

 wliite to a pronounced pinkish tinge, blotched and spotted, especially 

 about the apex, with chestnut or rich redchsh-brown and dull piuplish- 

 brown. Occasionally on a rookery a very wann-coloured egg may be 

 found, and sometimes one entirely devoid of markings. When held 

 up to light the inside lining of the shell appears yellowish-white. 

 Dimensions in inches of examples from various localities: — Abrolhos 

 Islands, West Australia^(l) Ii05 x 1-44, (2) 1-99 x 1-45, (3) 1-85 x 1-38; 

 Norfolk Island— (1) 2-18 x 1-52, (2) 2-1 x 1-41; Maiden Island (mid- 

 Pacific)— (1) 1-98 x 1-39, (2) 1-93 x 1-4. 



Observationn. — Tlie Sooty Tern is one of the most familiar of its 

 family, being found on islands suitable to its habits in tropical and sub- 

 tropical regions. I could never understand why tiie bird is called 

 Sooty, when all its under parts are white, only the upper surface, as in 

 the Panayan or Browii-winged Tern, is dark. 



Although the Sooty Tern is common elsewhere in seas siiiiouiiding 

 Austraha, it is rarely seen on the southern coast. I have seen eggs 

 supposed to have been collected on Green Island, on the Fuincaux 

 Group, Bass Strait, but I liave been unable to obtain conriniiatory 

 evidence of the statement. It is one of the common sea-birds found 

 breeding on Norfolk Island, off the east coast. 



Gould reports that Gilbei't found the Sooty Tern breeding on 

 Houtman's Abrolhos, December (1839), and Mr. Macgillivray in Ton-es 

 Strait, in May and June (1844?). 



In the former locality, when the guest of Mr. Broadhurst and his 

 manager, Mr. Beddoes, I enjoyed my pleasant experience of this bird, 

 which I invariably associated with the Noddy Tern, the latter building 



