i68 



GULL GROUP 



winter, but have the upper-parts mottled with brown. The white tail 

 and upper tail-coverts serve to distinguish the adults at all seasons, 

 but in \'oung birds only a few of the upper tail-coverts are white. 



In its habits, both during the breeding-season and at other times 

 of year, this species appears to be practically identical with the black 

 tern, and as it is a mere straggler on migration to the British Isles, no 

 special notice on this point is required. Of the above-mentioned 

 twenty-seven recorded occurrences in our area, three are from Ireland, 

 and the remainder from England, among which latter Norfolk claims 

 no less than thirteen. The total length of the bird is but 9^ inches. 



CasDian Tern ^" marked contrast to the preceding in point of size 



( Hydroppog-ne '"^ ^^^^ Caspian tern, which is in fact the largest 



casDia) representative of the whole group, measuring no 



less than 20 inches in length. By some writers 



it is included in the t)-pical genus, under the name of Sterna caspia, 



but its stout and long beak and legs and very short tail, only about 



HC ROWLAND WARD 6 



(ASIMAN TKKN (Sl .MMKK I. 



one-third the length of the wing, amply justify its transference to a 

 separate genus, of which it is the sole representative. 



Although stated to be particularly common in Sind, the Caspian 



