Ike"" STERNINiE. 841 



The Little Tern. 



Z)fscr.— In summer, fore-head white ; the top and nape of the 

 head, and part of the hind neck, with the lores, black ; plumage 

 above pale-grey ; the tall almost white ; lower plumage white, 

 tinged with pearly-grey. 



Bill yellow, black at the tip ; irides brown ; legs orange. Length 

 S to 8^ inches ; extent 20 ; wing 6^ ; tail 3 ; bill at front nearly 

 1 J ; tarsus -^^j. The wing exceeds the tail by about 1 inch. 



In winter the black of the head is mixed with whitish, and 

 the white of the fore-head extends further backwards. Some 

 doubts have been expressed as to this species being identical with 

 the European bird, but I cannot detect any marked distinction. 



Gould, P. Z. S., 1855, p. 50, gives Sterna ? like minuta, from 



Sindh. It is perhaps orientalis Licht. 



This minute Tern is most abundant at the mouths of tidal rivers 

 and back-waters on the Malabar Coast, and is more rare apparently 

 on the East Coast, Inland I have only found it on the Ganges, 

 in small parties. It nidificates in this country, on sand-banks in 

 the Ganges, near Mirzapore, where it was found breeding by Mr. 

 Brooks ; the eggs are large for the size of the bird, ashy-green with 

 small spots and blotches. In Europe, it is chiefly a Sea-coast bird. 

 Swinhoe found it breeding on Formosa. A nearly allied species 

 is >S. nereis, Gould, from Australia. 



Sea Terns. 



These birds exclusively frequent the seas and the mouths of 

 large rivers. They are elegant and lengthened in form, and of 

 very powerful flight. Tiiey have all pale yellow bills, and black 

 feet. There are several very closely allied species, and the dis- 

 tinctive marks are not very well ascertained. They appear to liave 

 a wide distribution. 



Gen. Thalasseus, Boie. 



Syn. Pelecanopus, Wagler. 



Char. — Bill long and slender, much compressed ; feet completely 

 webbed ; wings very long, exceeding or equal to the forked tail ; 

 tarsus moderate, compressed ; the nude portion of the tibia long. 



PART II. 5 O 



