BIRDS OF TASMANIA. " 151 



acres in extent, which was hterally covered with the birds. The 

 plain was surrounded by low mountains, except on the side on 

 which we stood, and, being entirely sheltered from the wind, its 

 heat under the full blaze of a tropical sun was very oppressive. 

 No description can give an adequate idea of the effect produced 

 by the thousands upon thousands of these wild sea-birds, floating 

 and screaming over this arid cinder-bed, the eggs and young 

 scattered so thickly over the ground that in some instances it was 

 impossible to avoid crushing them, and the bleached bones of dead 

 birds distributed in all directions. During our short walk down 

 the incline, large Hocks of parent birds hovered over our heads, 

 and assailed us with plaintive cries, regardless of our sticks, with 

 which we might have killed any number of them ; but their 

 beautiful pure black and white plumage and graceful motions 

 caused it to appear almost a sin to knock anj' of them down. On 

 arriving within the precincts of the breeding grounds, their 

 numbers increased ; large flocks were arriving in endless succession 

 from seaward; clouds of birds rose from the ground, and joining 

 those already attending us, their wheelings and gyrations almost 

 made us giddy. I sat down on a lump of cinder, and the society, 

 being at length convinced that my policy was not aggressive, went 

 on with the oi'dinary routine of incubation. There were young of 

 all sizes, from the little callow ones just hatched to the nearly 

 fledged birds, that fluttered and crawled like young Pigeons. 

 There were also lots of eggs exposed on the bare ground ; but in 

 most instances the old bird sat on its solitary treasure, hissing 

 defiance as I approached, and fighting if I attempted to remove it." 



*WHITE-FACED TERNLET (Little Tebn) 

 (Sterna nereis, Gould). 



Male and Female (breeding plumage). — Forehead and lores 

 white; spot in front of each eye, crown, and nape black; back, 

 shoulders, and wing coverts pale pearl-grey ; rump greyish-white ; 

 tail white ; quills brownish ; under surface silvery-white ; bill bright 

 yellow; legs and feet dull yellow. Dimensions in mm. : — Length, 

 238; bin, 36; wing, 186; tail, 88; tarsus, 15. 



Male and Female (winter plumage). — Crown marked with 

 white, otherwise similar. 



Immature. — Crown greyish-white; nape black; tail greyish- 

 white; rest of plumage practically similar to winter plumage. 



Young. — Crown and nape mottled with dull brownish-black ; 

 back barred with ash and tipped with dull white ; slight mottling 

 of ashy-grey on tail feathers. 



Nest. — Merely a slight depression in the sand or shingle. 



Eggs. — Clutch two usually; oval in shape ; texture fine ; surface 

 faintly glossy; colour warm stone-grey, moderately marked with 



