STERNA. 



325 



of the Red Sea, northward to about 24° parallel north latitude and 

 southward to the Gulf of Aden there. 



Sterna Saundersii, Hume, Str. F, vol. iv. 469 ; v. 326 ; Murray, 



Hdhk., ZooL, S^-c, Sind, p. 249. — Saunders' Little Teen. 



'' A triangular frontal patch, the angles reaching to within 0*]2 of 

 the eyes, white ; a very broad stripe through the lores to the eye 

 black; a narrow white line intervenes between this stripe and tlie 

 upper mandible. Tho whole crown, occiput, short occipital crest 

 and sides of occiput as low as the lower margin of the eye velvet black, 

 the central two-thirds of the lower eyelid white, and no black below 

 this; all the rest of the sides of head and neck, chin, throat, entire 

 under parts, wing lining and exterior tail feather, pure white ; the 

 first three primaries black with black shafts and broad white margins 

 on their inner webs ; their greater coverts dusky black ; the whole of 

 the rest of the upper surface, including wings and tail, and excepting 

 parts and feathers already described, a most delicate satin grey con- 

 trasting in the strongest manner with the early black primaries. 



'^ Length. — 9"12 inches, expanse 19'25, tail 3-0, wing 6"43, bill at 

 front l']2, from gape 1"5, tarsus 0*6, legs and feet dusky yellowish 

 olive, bill yellow, broadly tipped dusky, irides blackish brown." — Str. 

 F. V. 326. 



This species is extremely common at Kurrachee and along the coast 

 during the latter part of April, also in May and June, in which months 

 it breeds at Kurrachee on the bare plains between Kurrachee and 

 Clifton at Ghizree and on the Moach. The eggs are usually laid in 

 a small depression in the saline soil, the birds selecting wherever 

 possible, spots where there is a little loose shelly sand. Eggs glossles3 

 and often chalky, two to three in number, oval and pointed at one end ; 

 of a drab, buff, or stone colour, streaked, blotched and spotted, of a 

 dark or deep brown or reddish brown colour generally at the larger end. 



Sterna anasthsetas, Scop.; Sonn. Voy. t. 84; Jerd. B. Ind. iii. 

 844, No. 992 ; Str. F. ii. 320 ; iv. 474 ; v. 301 ; Murray, ffdhJc, ZooL, 

 SiT.., Sind, p. 248 f. Sterna panayana, Lath.j Gould. B. As. vii. p. 33. — 

 The Brown-winged Tern, 



" A frontal band, extending backwards over the eyes for about O'lo 

 behind the posterior angle of the eye, pure white; a broad black 

 stripe through the lores, to, and behind the eyes joining the black 

 of the occiput ; forehead and crown inside the white band and 

 entire occiput and nape velvet black ; chin, throat, sides of the 

 neck, axillaries, under wing-coverts, lower tail-coverts, edge of the 

 wing along carpal joint and ulna white ; the breast, abdomen and 

 flanks white, shaded with pale French grey ; back of the neck the same ; 

 back, wings and tail sooty brown ; upper back strongly shaded with 

 bluish grey, as are also some of the tail feathers ; lesser wing-coverts 

 behind the white edge of the wing blackish brown ; the primaries a 

 darker brown ; their shafts brown on the upper surface ; outer web 

 of first primary almost black ; the rest greyish white on their inner 



