the Avifauna of New Caledorda. 265 



a young bird from there is now running about within a few 

 feet of us. But our birds have never more than t7vo primaries 

 with the white speculum on them. Is this a constant cha- 

 racteristic of L. ffouldi, Bp. ? We have seen no otlier Gull 

 herCj though M. Jouan mentions a larger species in his ' Notes.' 

 Length 52 centims. 



89. Sterna gracilis, Gould. 



A specimen in the museum (locality unknown), marked 

 ''jeune femelle, mai/' is in beautiful young plumage. We 

 have little doubt that it was killed in the island, and pro- 

 bably was bred here. Our list of Terns includes, over and 

 above those named by M. Marie, 



Sterna bergii (or velox), Licht., 

 which we find not uncommon, 



Sternula nereis, Gould., 

 which L, L. found breeding on some rocky islets off Ansevata, 



Anous stolidus, L., 

 teste Finsch & Harclaub (Oni. p. 327), and 



Gygis alba, Sparrm., 

 Finsch & Hartlaub (Om. p. 233). 



96. Phaeton rubricauda (Gra.) 

 breeds on Huon Island, as does 



98. Tachypetes minor (Gm.), 

 a specimen we have agreeing entirely with the bird we thus 

 identified in Fiji. 



The Huon Islands have only just been opened up as guano- 

 depot sites. We hear of various birds breeding there — two 

 Kails, two Phaetons, two Frigate-birds, one (if not two) 

 Boobies, two Terns, and two " Mutton-birds,'' " that burrow 

 into the soil under the rocks." 



The veteran zoologist Pere Montrouzier believes the 

 Frigate-bird to be new ; and his description of it was read 

 before the " Societe de Geographic " in Paris on the 6th 

 December, 1876, in a communication entled " Note d'histoire 

 naturelle sur les iles Huon et Surprise, par le R. P. Mont- 



