320 



STERNIN^. 



three primary quills agree well with the plate in P. Z. 8. 1878, p. 201. 

 Saunders on the Larince. 



Hah.— Sind, in the Kurrachee harbour, and on the inland lakes ; the 

 Mekran Coast, Persian Gulf, rivers of the Punjab and Bengal, at IBom- 

 bay, also the Mediterranean Coast to Egypt, Asia Minor, the Red Sea 

 and Arabian Coast. 



Sub-Family, STERNIN^.— 5^. 



Bill long or moderate, entire, straight, compressed and pointed ; the 

 lower mandible angled ; nostrils longitudinal; wing long and pointed; 

 tail short and even, or long and forked; tarsus short and slender; 

 toes short, webbed. 



The common residence of this Family is the sea shore, mouths or 

 banks of large i-ivers and lakes. They are always in large flocks, and 

 especially so in the breeding season. 



They continue long on the wing, and are quick in all their evolu- 

 tions, darting upon their finny prey, rising in the air, or gliding along 

 near the surface of the v/ater. They are commonly divided as Marsh, 

 River, Sea, and Oceanic Terns, according to their habits and struc- 

 ture. 



Gen. Gelochelidon.— Li/i. 



Nostrils with plumes reaching the opening; first quill of wing 

 longest; tail foi'ked; tarsus rather long; bill moderate; culmen slightly 

 curved and with a projecting gony or angle. 



Gelochelidon nilotica, Hasselq.; Naum. Vog. t. 249 ; Yarr, Br. 

 B. 2 Ed. lii. fig. 5, 515; Gcmld. B. Eur. pi. 416. Gelochelidon 

 anghcus, Mont. Jerd. B. Ind. iii. p. 836, No. 983; Str. F. i. 281 ; 

 Murray, Hdhk., Zool., Sfc, Sind, p. 248. — The Gull-billed Tern. 



In summer, forehead, lores, head on the crown, nape and back of 

 the neck silky or deep black; sides of the face, chin, throat, breast 

 and under parts white; mantle, wings and tail light grey, wings 

 reach about two inches beyond the tail ; the first primary is rather 

 a hoary grey, the rest light grey, their tips and inner webs next the 

 shaft dusky brown, the margins for their basal two-thirds gi-eyish 

 white; shafts white; secondaries and tertiaries light grey; under 

 wing-covei-ts white ; tail light grey, the feathers white shafted ; bill, 

 legs and feet black, the latter with sometimes a reddish tinge; iridea 

 dark brown. 



Length. — 14'5 to 16*2 inches, wing 13 to 14*5 inches, reaching 

 the tail by from 2 to 2*7 inches, bill at front 1*5 to 1*7, tarsus 15. 



In winter, the black head is replaced by a white grey streaked head, 

 and a few dusky spots behind and round the eye. 



Hab. — Sind, Beloochistan, Persia, Bengal, Rajputana, Kutch, the 

 Concans and Deccan. Affects the large inland pieces of water ; especial- 

 ly numerous on the Munchur Lake in Sind, and the salt water creeks 

 in the deltaic districts. Arrives about the middle of September and 

 leaves about the third week in May. 



