160 RECORDS OF THE AUSTHAI.IAN MUSEUM 



^GIALITIS MELANOPS. 



Black-fronted Dotterel. 



Cliiiri('lrii(.-i iiielaiiops, Vieill., Noiiv. Diet. d'Hist., xxvii. p. 139 

 (1818). 



Hlaticnla ititjrifn>n.-<, Gould, Bds. Austi-., fol., vi., pi. 20 (1848). 



^qiaVitis nufrifrotiii, Gould, Haudbk. Bds. Austr., ii., p. -32 

 (1865)." 



AUgialitis viehiimps, Sliarpe, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., xxiv., p. 300 

 (1896) ; North, Nests and Eggs Austr. Bds., 2nd. ed. iv., 

 pt. iii., p. 279 (1913). 



Pairs of Black-fronted Dotterel were noted about the margins 

 or in the vicinity of the Barwon River, at Brewarrina. One 

 pail- by their actions about three hundred yards from the bridge 

 w^hich crosses this river near the Chiuamens' garden, undoubt- 

 edly had eggs or young, but I was not looking for the former — 

 in fact I did not take a single egfi; during the trip — the young 

 stages too of this species were well known to me from examples 

 captured near Sydney. 



Hydkochklidon hybrida. 

 Marsh Tern. 



Sterna hijhrida, Pallas, Zoogr., iiosso-Asiat., ii., p. 338 (1811). 



liydroclielidon fluriatili^, Gould, Bds. Austr., fol., vii., pi. 31 

 (1848). 



HildruclielUhiii Injhridn, Saunders, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus.^ xxv., 

 p. 10 (1896) ; North, Nests and Eggs Austr. Bds., 2ud. 

 ed. iv., pt. iv., p. 301 (1914). 



Two of these fairy-like denizens of the air, presumably a 

 pair, flitted almost incessantly up and down " The Fisheries," 

 in the Darling River, at Brewarrina, but were not observed at 

 any other part of the river. The white and delicate shades of 

 grey plumage, of the Marsh Terns, witli an irregular back- 

 ground of dark green foliage, rendered them very conspicuous 

 objects while on the wing. I never saw them attempt to des- 

 cend, and capture anything from the water, as they usually do 

 whether over a river, swamp, or grass-lands. 



