398 BIRDS OP AUSTRALIA. 



black in the centre of eacli ; occiput and back of tlie neck 

 black; back and wings deep grey; tail grey; primaries 

 greyish black, broadly margined on their inner web with 

 white ; the shafts white ; irides dark brown ; bill ochre- 

 yellow ; feet blackish grey. 



Total length 13 J inches ; bill 2f ; wing 11 J ; tail 4f ; tarsi 1. 



Genus STERNA, Linnaus. 



The members of this genus, as now restricted, enjoy so 

 wide a range over the seas of the globe, that they may be 

 said to be universally dispersed : three species are found in 

 Australia. 



Sp. 604. STERNA MELANORHYNCHA, Gould. 

 Southern Tern. 



Sterna velox, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part x. p. 139. 



{Thalassea) melanorhyncha, Bonap. Compt. Rend, de I'Acad. Sci., 



torn. xli. 



Sterna melanorhyncha, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vii. 

 pl. 26. 



I killed several fine examples of this Tern off the coast of 

 Tasmania, and within a few miles of Maria Island : all the 

 specimens I procured had the forehead white, a character of 

 plumage which I have since ascertained to be indicative of the 

 winter dress. 



More recently I have received from Mr. Macgillivray spe- 

 cimens which I consider to be fully adult examples of this 

 bird in their summer or breeding-costume ; in this state the 

 crown of the head is wholly black, the bill in some specimens 

 red, in others red stained with black on the upper mandible ; 

 legs orange-red ; the upper and under surface dark blue-grey, 

 except a line of snow-white running along the face, below the 

 eye, and separating the grey of the throat from the jet-black 



