296 BIRDS OF EUROPE AND NORTH AFRICA 



Sterna fuscata fuscata L. Sooty Tepn. 



^ 9 Above black, forehead and underparts white, outer tail 

 feather white. Bill, legs and feet black. Wing 275-305. Tarsus 

 22-25. Fork of tail 100. Bill 39-46 (H.). In winter, crown is 

 spotted white. Young are blackish brown with white tips on 

 upper parts ; beneath paler brown, vent and under tail coverts 

 slate. Bill, legs and feet brown. 



Breeds. — W. Indies and S. Atlantic. Occasionally occurs in 

 European Seas ; recorded Azores, Italy, France, Germany, 

 British Isles. 



Sterna minuta minuta L. Little Tern. Fr. Sterne 

 naine ; Ger. Zwergseeschwalbe ; Ital, Fraticello ; Swed. Smatiirna. 



$ $ summer. Above blue grey, rump, upper tail coverts, 

 and tail almost white ; crown, nape, and lores black ; forehead 

 white, about 10 m.m. broad ; beneath white ; two outer primaries 

 with their shafts (sometimes third also) darker than the others. 

 Bill yellow, at tip black. Legs and feet light orange. In winter, 

 more white on forehead, and streamers of tail shorter. Wing 

 173-180. Tarsus 15-17. Bill 27-31. Young: crown striped 

 black, back bufiish grey marked with blackish crescents, tail 

 except outer tail feathers marked with black. 



Breeds. — Europe generally from Petrograd in Russia, S. Sweden, 

 Germany, and British Isles south to Mediterranean, Black and 

 Caspian Seas ; N. Africa ; and also in W. Asia to N.W. India. 

 Migrates ; occurs in winter in African and Indian Seas. The limits 

 of the distribution of this form and of " S. m. saundersi" are not 

 yet defined. The latter has the three outer primaries white and 

 black, and bill and feet more brownish yellow. It has been reported 

 from Egypt. 



Angus. 



Tail wedge-shaped and slightly bifurcated, 3rd outer 

 feather longest; oceanic birds. 



Anous stolidus stolidus (L.). Noddy Tern. 



^ 9 Forehead whitish, crown pale grey, hind neck ashy 

 grey, upper parts smoky brown tinged grey, tail and wings almost 

 black ; below smoky brown, throat, under wing coverts, and 

 axillaries grey. Bill black. Legs and feet reddish brown. Wing 

 260-286. Tarsus 25-27. Bill 43-46. 



