88 MAXl AL OF PHILIPPINE BIRDS. 



upper and greater part of the inner webs: iipper tail-coverts gray; tail- 

 feathers gray, with white outer webs to the outside pair; chin white or 

 very pale gray; tliroat gray, darkening on the lower part; breast dark 

 slate-gray, which deepens into black on abdomen and flanks; vent and 

 under tail-coverts white; under wing-coverts white; axillars white with a 

 faint tinge of gray. Bill blood-red ; feet vermilion, drying to orange- 

 color; webs deeply indented, but less so than in //. Jfucoptera. Length, 

 280; culmen, 35; wing, 235 to 241; tail, 96; tarsus, 23; middle toe with 

 claw, 29. 



"Indian birds, which are probably almost sedentary, are slightly smaller 

 in size. Some of the birds resident in South Africa are of a distinctly 

 darker hue both above and below than northern examples; Australian 

 specimens, on the other hand, are inclined to be paler. 



''Adult feniaJe. — Similar to the male, or a trifle paler in general tint. 



"Adult in li'inter [jluinage. — Upper parts of a paler gray than in the 

 breeding season ; forehead white ; crown and nape streaked and mottled 

 with black; under parts entirely white; bill and feet reddish brown. 



"Young in first plumage. — Crown and nape blackish brown, mantle 

 mottled with brown and with warm cinnamon-brown edges to inner 

 secondaries ; tail slightly mottled and edged with ash-brown ; the rest like 

 tiie adult in winter. By December the brown markings are considerably 

 diminished. 



"Xestling. — Down at the base of bill black, forehead ruddy fawn-color; 

 upper parts paler fawn, mottled and streaked with black; under parts 

 white, except the throat, which is sooty l)lack for a few days." 

 (Saunders.) 



"Common about the Pasig River and Laguna de Bay. Several flocks 

 were observed in Mindanao feeding over the paddy-fields." (Bourns and 

 Worcester MS.) 



Genus STERNA Linmeus, 1758. 



Bill iiuicli as in HgdrocJiclidon but somewliat longer; toes completely 

 webbed; tail always distinctly forked; outer rectrices usually iiuuh longer 



than the others. 



Species, 

 a'. Crown bhuk. 



Ip'. Larger; wing, 240 mm. oi' more. 

 c^ Forehead black to base of culmen. 



d'. Larger; tarsus yellow or red ; liill re<l in sununer hirundo (p. 89) 



d'. Smaller; tarsus bhukisli. bill l)huk at iiil seasons.... long^ipennis (p. 89) 

 c'. Forehead white. 



d'. Lores white boreotis (p. 90) 



d^. Lores black. 



p'. Wing. 2();'5 mm.; mantle umber-brown anaestheta (p. 91) 



e". Wing. 300 mm.; mantle deep black fuscata (p. 92) 



6^ Smaller; wing less than 200 mm sinensis (p. 92) 



a". Crown white melanauchen (p. 93) 



