725 LARID/E. 



on a low sand bank on Adam's Bridge. The nests were depressions in 

 the sand, and contained one or two eggs, of the same type as those of the 

 last, pale buff, blotched, streaked and spotted with brown. 



1433. Sterna hirundo, Linn., Syst. Nat. i. p, 957; Gould, B. 



Europe* pi. 417; Je*d., B. 2nd. iii. p. 839. Sterna fluviatilis, Naum. Vogt. 

 t. p. 712. The EUROPEAN TERN. 



Whole head and nape black; plumage above grey; upper tail coverts 

 white ; tail pale grey, the feathers white on their inner web ; chin, throat, ear 

 coverts and sides of the neck pure white ; rest of the lower parts pearly 

 greyish white ; lower tail coverts white. Bill deep red ; irides brown ; legs 

 red. 



Length. 12'$ inches; wing 9-8 to 10-3 ; tail 4-5; bill at front 1-4; 

 tarsus i. 



In winter the forehead and top of the head are white, with blackish mixed 

 round the eyes, occiput and nape. 



7/0._Central and Southern India and Sind, along the River Indus to the 

 Punjab and the Cashmere lakes. 



1437. Sterna albigena, Licht., Norn. Mas. Berol. p. 98 ; Sir. F. 

 iv. p. 467 ; v. p. 298; Murray, Ildbk , Zool, fyc., Sind, p. 248; id., Vert. 

 Zool. Sind, p. 324. The WHITE-CHEEKED TERN. 



The lores and point of the forehead white, the latter with a few black 

 speckles ; a patch in front of the eye black, speckled with white ; the anterior 

 half of the crown white, tinged earthy or brownish grey, and with spots and 

 blotches of brownish black. Feathers immediately above the eye, all the feathers 

 behind it, the sides of the head, occiput and nape, black : the posterior half of the 

 crown blackish brown, a little mingled with greyish white ; an imperfect white 

 band from the lores beneath the eyes, with another imperfect black one below 

 it. The back of the neck is whitish, the feathers suffused with grey towards 

 the tips ; the whole of the back, scapulars, wings and tail a moderately dark 

 french grey, darker than in S. bengalensis, but not so dark as in some speci- 

 mens of Bergii. The upper tail coverts slightly paler; the wings more silvery, 

 but the outer web of the first primary and of the exterior elongated tail feather 

 much darker ; the inner webs of the primaries darker; the first primary with 

 a considerable portion of the inner web white to the margin ; the other pri- 

 maries also with white on their inner web, but with a grey band on their 

 margin. The second and third tail feathers also a rather darker grey on their 

 outer webs towards the points ; the rest of tail leathers, inner and outer webs, 

 pretty well concolorous with the rump and upper tail coverts ; the chin, throat 

 and sides of the neck almost pure white, with only a few faint dusky grey 

 patches ; the breast and abdomen a dusky bluish grey, with many large 

 patches of white ; the lower tail coverts greyish white ; the wing lining white. 



