6. STERNA. 87 



(S. Spain) ; Gray, Hand-l. B. iii. p. 119, no. 11045 (1871) ; Blcmf. 



East. Persia, ii. p. 294 (1876) ; Hartl. Vog. Madag. p. 383 (1877). 

 Sterna bengralensis, Lesso)i, Traite, p. 621 (1831) ; Puch. Rev. Zool. 



1850, p. 542 ; Jerd. B. Ind. iii. p. 843 (1864) ; Hume, Str. F. i. 



p. 284 (1873); id. up. cit. ii. p. 318 (Nicobars) ; id. Nests ^ 



Hfff/s Ind. B. p. 65o (1875); id. Str. F. iv. p. 474 (1876: Lacca- 



dives). 

 "Sterna arabica, Fhrcndcrr/," Tevim. Man. d' Orn. ed. 2, 4me pte. 



p. 456 (1840). 

 Sterna, no. 402, Jerdon, Madras Journ. xii. p. 224 (1840); cf. Blijth, 



Ibis, 1865, p. 39. 

 Thalasseus torresii, Gould, P. Z. S. 1842, p. 140 ; id. B. Austr. vii. 



pi. 25 (1848) ; Reichenb. Vog. Neuholl. p. 346 (1850) ; G. R. 



Gray, P.Z. 8. 1858, p. 188 (Am Is.). 

 Thalasseus affinis, Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 182 ; Brehm, Namn. 1855, 



p. 295; Bj). C. R. xlii. p. 772 (1856); Bias. J.f. O. 1866, p. 82; 



Loc/ie, Fvpl. Sc. Alger., Ois. ii. p. 200 (1867) ; Fritsch, Vog. Eur. 



p. 456, Taf. 56. figs. 1 & 4 (1870). 

 Thalasseus benegalensis, Boie, Isis, 1844, p. 182 ; Blyth, J. A. S. 



Benq. XV. p. 373 (1840: Nicobars); id. Cat. B. Mm. As. Soc. 



p. 291 (1849); Bp. C. R. xlii. p. 772 (1856); Jerd. B. Ind. iii. 



p. 843 (1864) ; Gould, Handb. B. Austr. ii. p. 397 (1865) ; Ball, 



Str. F. 1873, p. 90 (Nicobars) ; Masters, Pr. Linn. Sac. N. S. W. 



i. p. 62 (1877) ; Ramsay, t. c. p. 386 (G. of Carpentaria). 

 Sylochelidon affinis, Riipp. Syst. Uebers. p. 139 (1845 : lied Sea). 

 Thalasseus maxuriensis, Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 98 (1854 : Ai'abia 



& E. Indies)*; Bp. C. R. xlii. p. 772 (1856). 

 Pelecanopus torresi, Bp. C. R. xlii. p. 772 (1856). 

 Sterna torresii, Gray, Cat. B. Trop. Is. Pacif. Oc. p. 52 (1859) ; 



Rosenb. Reistocht. Geelvinkh. p. 118 (1875). 

 Sterna maxuriensis. Gray, Iland-l. B. iii. p. 119, no. 11046 (1871). 

 Thalasseus medius, Hol'dsw. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 482 (Ceylon) ; Blyth 



Sf Wald. B. Burm. p. 173 (1875) ; Giglioli, Avif. Ital. p. 413 



(18S6: Sicily). 

 Pelecanopus medius, Walden, Tr. Z. S. viii. p. 104 (1874 : Celebes) ; 



Meyer, Ibis, 1879, p. 146 (Limbe Str., Celebes, breeds). 

 Actoclielidon media, Salrad.Ucc. Ital.-p. 275 (1887); Heine ^-Reidi'- 



now, Nomencl. Mus. Ilein. p. 355 (1890 : N.E. Africa). 



Adult in hreeding-plumage. Similar to the preceding species, bui; 

 mantle decidedly darker grey, with the tail of the same tint (a 

 little lighter on the streamers), the white inner margins to the 

 primaries less pronounced ; the bill waxy-yellow, shorter, and 

 straighter ; tarsi and toes black, soles pale yellow. Total length 

 17 inches, culmen 24, wing 12, tail 6-75, depth of fork 3, tarsus 1, 

 middle toe with claw I'l. 



Adults in luinter, Immature, and Vouar/. These go through pre- 

 cisely the same changes and phases as those already described. 

 I Breeds in large colonies on islands. 

 JIah. Mediterranean, from Straits of Gibraltar (sparingly) east- 

 wards to Egypt ; lied Sea ; East Africa to Madagascar and islands 

 of Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Lower Bay of Bengal, 

 Malacca, Sumatra, Java, and Celebes ; Australia, chiedy the north. 



I 



