H50 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



colony consisted of about a dozen pairs, and the twelve nests I found 

 were irregularly distributed over a level sandy beach separated from 

 the sea by a bank of drift sea-weed. The nests, if such they can 

 be called, placed a few yards apart from one another, were merely 

 little shallow hollows in the bare sand, some of them surrounded 

 with the debris of small sea-shells'. Most of the nests contained 

 three eggs, a few only two, and one had two freshly hatched young, 

 and an imhatched egg. The young birds, fluffy little things of a 

 sandy-buff colour, striped with black, when touched with the hand, 

 uttered a distinct chirping note. On their breeding-ground being 

 approached the old birds became very excited and clamorous, flying 

 backwards and forwards and circling round overhead, repeatedl}' 

 littering their cries of distress or protest, till finally left in peace. 

 On the same beach where the Little Terns were breeding, and close 

 to their nests, was a clutch of three undoubted eggs of the Kentish 

 Plover. 



The eggs of the Little Tern vary considerably in their ground- 

 colour, but less so in marking, shape and size. The majority are of 

 a yellowish-buff shade, sparingly blotched with grey and dark brown, 

 but eggs with a greenish tint are not uncommon, and occasionally 

 greenish-white eggs may be found. One of these latter I found in 

 a clutch with two other eggs of the usual buff-colour. The average 

 measurements of the eggs are 30 X 22 mm. They are fairly oval 

 in shape and not pyriform. 



STERNA CASPIA, Pallas. 

 CASPIAN TERN. 



Sterna caspia, Pall. Nov. Comm. Petrop. xiv, p. 582, tab. xxii, fig. 2 

 (1770); Komicj, J. f. 0. 1888, p. 286; id. J. f. 0. 1893, p. 96; 

 Eiiawjcr, J.f. 0. 1900, p. 72. 



Sylochelidon caspia, Loche, Expl. Sci. Alij. Ois. ii, p. 19G (1867). 



Hydroprogne caspia, Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxv, p. 32. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from Djerba, South Tunisia. 



Forehead, crown and nape jet black ; neck white ; the greater part of 

 the upper plumage pale pearl-grey, becoming almost white on the rump 

 and tail ; quills silvery-grey, the margins of the inner webs slate-grey ; the 

 outermost primary almost entirely dark grey ; underparts white. 



