NO. 2121. RACES OF THALAS8EUS BERGII—OBERHOLSER. 



521 



east to the northern and western islands of the Philippine Archi- 

 pelago; and south probably to Cochin China. 



The species has been recorded from the following islands of the 

 Philippine Archipelago, on which it is probably represented by 

 Thalasseus hergii cristatus, those islands followed by a query being 

 doubtfully placed under this subspecies : Agutaya, Calamianes, Cuyo, 

 Luzon, Masbate, Palawan, Balabec (?), Panay, Guimaras (?), Rom- 

 blon, Sibuyan, and Tablas. 



The birds from Palawan Island are intermediate between TTialas- 

 seus hergii cristatus and TTialasseus hergii 'pelecanoid.es ^ but are 

 decidedly nearer the former. Mr. Mathews ^ has referred all the 

 Phihppine birds to the present race, but while specimens from the 

 northern and southwestern islands are undoubtedly this, those from 

 Mindanao Island and the Sulu group, in the southernmost part of 

 the archipelago, are very much paler and belong to the foUowmg 

 apparently undescribed subspecies. 



The proper name for the present race is, as Mr. Mathews has 

 indicated,^ undoubtedly Sterna cristata Stephens,^ based on birds 

 from "China and many of the southeastern islands of Asia." 

 Stephens, in addition to his description, quotes Latham,^ whose 

 account refers chiefly and properly to the bird from China. The 

 Chinese bird is, furthermore, identical with that of the Riu Kiu 

 Islands recently named Sterna hergii horeotis by Mr. Bangs,* of which 

 we have examined the type. The specimens we have seen measure 

 as follows : 



Measurements of specimens of Thalasseus hergii cristatus. 



• Birds of Australia, vol. 2, pt. 3, Sept. 20, 1912, p. 347. 

 'Shaw's Gen. Zool., vol. 13, pt. 1, 1826, p. 146. 



« Gen. Syn. Birds, vol. 3, pt. 2, 1785, p. 351: Index Om., vol. 2, 1790, p. 804; Gen. Hist. Birds, vol. 10, 

 1824, p. 101. 

 « Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 36, 1901, p. 256. 

 ' Used in measurement averages on p. 520. 



• Type of Sterna hergii boreotis Bangs. 



