Malayan Ornithology. 201 



primaries barred^ and the secondaries tipped with white, thus 

 forming- a band across the wing; flanks and tail-coverts 

 vermiculated with grey lincs^ like a Wigeon^s back ; tail 

 greenish brown; vent black. 



The female is of the same size as the male,, but not nearly 

 so boldly marked ; its irides are dark brown ; bill yellowish 

 black ; the secondaries only are marked with white ; face and 

 neck grey; breast barred with narrow black lines; under- 

 parts dirty white; top of head dull brown, with a purple 

 gloss. 



I dissected both these birds : their stomachs were exceed- 

 ingly muscular, contained weed and vegetable matter, also a 

 quantity of sand and particles of quartz. 



Sterna bergti, Licht. 



I shot several of these 'ferns in the Straits of Johore and 

 off the south coast of Singapore. During September, while 

 steaming to Pulo Mongsa, several flocks passed close to our 

 launch. They flew close to the surface of the sea and in ex- 

 tended order, like a line of skirmishers ; all the flocks were 

 making iif the same direction ; and it was about three in the 

 afternoon : so perhaps they were on their way to some place 

 in which to pass the night. 



One shot near Johore on 13th April was from 17 to 18 

 inches in length, bill at front 2j, tarsusl-^ig ; irides dark brown ; 

 bill pale yellowish green ; legs black ; upper parts mottled 

 all over with French grey and dusky brown ; head and nape 

 black, the feathers of the crown edged with white ; forehead, 

 underparts, inner portions of the inner webs of the primaries, 

 and tail-feathers white. 



I think this must have been an immature bird ; others 1 

 shot had the legs green blotched with black. 



Sterna sebna, Sykes. 



During May 1879 I got one of these Terns alive, it having 

 been caught by a fisherman on the shore near Malacca. It 

 was a female, length 16 to 17 inches, bill at front 2^.2^ tarsus 1, 

 bill from gape 3, in colour bright yellow ; irides dark brown ; 

 head aud pointed crest over the nape deep blue-black; the 



SER. IV. VOL. VI. P 



