G. STERXA. 



121 



which it may be distinguished by its rather paler mantle, greyer 

 rump and tail-feathers, the blaekness of the webs of the three outer 

 primaries on both sides of the black shafts, contrasting strongly with 

 the pure white of the inner margins of the webs, and the straightness 

 of the bill, in which the maxilla is not at all decurved. Bill dusky 

 yellow, usually black at the tip for 0-5 in. ; tarsi and toes brownish 

 yellow. Total length 9 inches, culmen 1-3, wing 6-6, tail 3, depth 

 of fork I'l, tarsus O'G, middle toe with claw 0"7. The sexes appear 

 to be alike in plumage. 



Adult in tuinter. Like the above, but lores and crown flecked 

 with white, bill duller in colour. 



Immature. Forehead and lores greyish white, a patch of smoke- 

 grey in front of the eye, crown with black streaks which coalesce 

 on the nape ; mantle much darker grey than in the adult, and the 

 blackish line along the upper wing-coverts strongly pronounced ; 

 the three outer primaries and their shafts as before in their normal 

 state, but the shafts are sometimes abraded till they are brownish, 

 the fourth and fifth primaries also brownish black : bill blackish ; 

 feet brown. 



Younrj. Upper parts with more fawn-white, mottled with brown ; 

 otherwise like the above. 



Hah. Lower Eed Sea, East Coast of Africa to Natal, Madagascar, 

 Mascarene and Seychelle Islands, Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, Indian 

 coast, Ceylon, and Burma. 



Of all the members of the group, this comes nearest to <S. halce- 

 narnm in the shape of the bill, and immature examples have been 

 ascribed to that species. It is certainly remarkable that *S'. saun- 

 derd should go down to Natal (Durban Bay), but after careful 

 examination of specimens I can come to no other conclusion. 



a, b. Juv. et imm. 



sk. 

 c. cS imm. sk. 



d,e. cJ $ imm. sk, 



f. 2 imm. sk. 

 f/. 1mm. sk. 

 h-n. Imm. sk. 



0. Imm. sk. 



p. Imm. sk. 



q, r. 1mm. sk. 



s, t. d imm. ; u, v. 



2 ad. ; %v, X. 



Ad. sk. 

 y-f. 6 $ ad. sk. 



g'. (^ imm. sk. 

 h'. 1mm, sk. 

 »'. Imm. sk. 



Suakin, Red Sea. 



Zoulla, Red Sea, June 1868 



( W. Jesse). 

 Durban Bay, S.E. Afi'ica, 



March (Shelley Mus.). 

 Seychellps. 



Mohamraerah, Persian Gulf. 

 Fao, Aug.-Sept. 



Bushire, Feb. 



Persian Gulf. 

 Ghiznee (//. Goxdd). 

 Karachi, April, ^lay, and 



Julv (E. A. Butler ^- S. 



Boig). 

 Cherbaniani Reef, Laccadive 



Is., Feb. [A. 0. H. ^- J. 



Armstrong). 

 Madras, June, 

 Ceylon. 

 Ceylon. 



Capt. R. H. Penton 



[P.]. 

 Tweeddale Coll. 



H. Saunders Coll. 



Shelley CoU. 



K. Loftus, Esq. [P.]. 



W. D. Gumming, 



Esq. [P.]. 

 A. J. V. Pahner, 



Esq. [P.]. 

 Hume Coll. 

 India Museum [P.]. 

 Hume Coll. 



Hume Coll. 



Hume Coll. 

 Tweeddale Coll. 

 H. Saunders CoU. 



