STERNA CASPIA 351 



Iris blue-black ; bill coral-red ; feet black. 

 Total length 23 inches, wing 17, culmen 3, tarsus 1-80. 

 Adult female similar to the male, but rather smaller. 

 In winter the crown and nape are white, striped with black, and the 

 general colour of the plumage is rather greyer. 



This fine Tevn is resident and to be found on all the Tunisian 

 sea-coasts. During the spring and summer months it is abundant in 

 some localities, particularly in the south of the Regency, and, though 

 less plentiful, it may also frequently be met with on the northern 

 coast. Examples are sometimes obtained in the neighbourhood of 

 the towns of Tunis and Bizerta, but the small islands off the south- 

 east coast of the Regency appear to be the most favourite breeding- 

 grounds of the species. 



In Algeria and Marocco the species seems to be less plentiful than 

 in Tunisia, and in the latter country it is apparently rare. 



The geographical range of the Caspian Tern is very wide- 

 spreading, and extends to both hemispheres. The species is generally 

 distributed throughout the Mediterranean, as well as the Black and 

 Caspian Seas, from the latter of which it was first recorded by Pallas. 

 Northwards the species occurs in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and 

 Holland, and appears irregularly in the British Islands. It is 

 resident in North Africa, and ranges down both sides of the African 

 Continent as far as Cape Colony. It occurs throughout a considerable 

 portion of Asia, as far east as China, and is resident in Australia and 

 New Zealand. 



In the Nearctic Region it occurs as far north as Alaska and 

 Labrador, and southwards in California, Mexico and Florida. In 

 tropical and subtropical America it is replaced by Sterna maxima, 

 a smaller and distinct species, which is also to be found on the V/est 

 African coast and as far north as the Straits of Gibraltar. 



There is an adult example of this Tern, in winter plumage, from 

 the Straits, in the Lilford collection. This specimen was obtained 

 by Favier previous to 1867, and was acquired by Colonel Irby from 

 Favier's successor. Two other examples of S. maxima, shot near 

 Tangier in December, 1882, are in Mr. J. J. Dalgleish's collection 

 (Orn. Strs. Gib. 2nd ed. p. 294). 



The Caspian Tern is gregarions, and may sometimes be found 

 in large flocks, particularly during the breeding-season, though it is 



