NATATORES. 405 



Sp. 609. GYGIS CANDIDA. 



White Tern. 



Sterna Candida, Forst. Descrip. &c., p. 179. 



alba, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 808 ? 



White Tern, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. vi. p. 363. 

 Gygis Candida, Wagl. 



Gygis Candida, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vii. pi. 30. 



This lovely Tern visits the whole of the south-eastern coast 

 of Australia from Moreton Bay to Cape York, and is also 

 found on Norfolk Island, where it is said to breed. 



The late Mr. Cuming informed me that, on his visiting 

 Elizabeth Island, in the South Seas, which is entirely destitute 

 of inhabitants and of fresh water, he found this or an allied 

 species breeding on a species of Pandanus, its single egg 

 being deposited on the horizontal branches in a depression, 

 which, although slight, was sufficient to retain it in position 

 despite of the high winds and consequent oscillations to which 

 it was subjected. Mr. Cuming added that the old birds 

 were flying about in thousands, like swarms of bees, and 

 that he noticed several breeding on the same tree ; some of 

 the young birds were hatched and covered with down, and 

 being within reach, he took a few of them in his hand, and 

 after examining replaced them on their dangerous resting- 

 place, from which it appeared they occasionally fell down and 

 were destroyed, as he observed several lying dead on the 

 ground. 



A bird of this genus, and perhaps the same species, is also 

 noticed in the ' Journal of Researches in Geology and Natural 

 History ' of C. Darwin, Esq., who, when speaking of Keeling 

 Island, says, " But there is one charming bird — a small and 

 snow-white Tern which smoothly hovers at the distance of an 

 arm's length from your head ; its large black eye scanning 

 with quiet curiosity your expression. Little imagination is 



