728 LARID/E. 



and pointed at one end ; of a drab, buff, or stone colour, streaked, blotched 

 and spotted, of a dark or deep brown or reddish brown colour generally at the 

 larger end. 



1439. Sterna SinensiS, Gm., Syst. Nat. \. p. 608 ; Saunders, 

 P. Z. S. 1876, p. 662; Hume, Sir. F. v. p. 325 ; viii. p. 116; Legge, B. 

 Ceylon, p. 1019. Sternula minuta (Linn.), Hume, Nests and Eggs Ind. B. 

 p. 654 (part) ; Oates, Sir. F iii. p. 349. Sterna minuta, apud Wald. in 

 Blyth's B. Burm. p. 163. Sternula sinensis, David et Oust. Ois. Chine, 

 p. 627. Sterna Gouldi, Hume, Str. F. v. p. 326; Oates, Str. F. x. p. 247. 

 The EASTERN LITTLE TERN. 



Summer Plumage. Forehead, continued back to a point on either side just 

 over the eye, white ; crown, nape, the upper part of the hind neck and a streak 

 from the nostrils through the eye to the nape, deep black ; upper plumage 

 pale grey, becoming paler and whitish on the upper tail coverts and tail ; 

 first two primaries nearly black, margined on their inner webs with white ; 

 remaining primaries and secondaries grey, the latter tipped with white on the 

 outer webs ; shaft of the first primary white, that of the second more or less 

 white ; remainder of the plumage white. Jn winter the crown is white, 

 gradually turning to dusky and running into the. nape, which remains black, 

 the black of the nape extending to behind the eye ; the band from the nostril 

 to the eye is lost, there being merely a dusky spot in front of the eye ; rest 

 of plumage as in summer. Irides brown; bill yellow, broadly tipped with 

 black ; legs and feet orange yellow. 



Length. 10 inches; tail 4; wing 7-0; tarsus 075; bill from gape 17; 

 fork of tail 2'2. 



Hab. The greater part of India and Ceylon. In Burmah it is recorded 

 by Oates from Southern Pegu. Affects all the larger rivers within tidal 

 influence. Breeds in Burmah during March and April, depositing four eggs 

 in a small depression in a sandbank. 



1440. Sterna ansesthetUS, Scop., Del. Flor. et Faun. Insubr. ii. 

 p, 92; Saunders, P. Z. S. 1876, p. 664 ; Butler, Str. F. v. p. 301 ; Hume, 

 Str. F. viii. p. 116; Legge, B. Ceylon, p. 1040; Oates, B. Br. Burm. ii. 

 p. 431 ; Murray, Vert. Zool. Sind, p. 325. Sterna panayensis, Gm., Syst. 

 Nat. I. p. 607. Onychoprion anaesthetus, Jerd., B. Ind. iii. p. 844; Salvad, 

 Ucc. Born. p. 374. Haliplana ansestheta, David, et Oust. Oist. Chine, p. 528. 

 The PANAYAN TERN. 



" A frontal band, extending backwards over the eyes for about o- 1 5 behind 

 the posterior angle of the eye, pure white ; a broad black stripe through the 

 lores, to, and behind the eyes joining the black of the occiput ; forehead and 

 crown inside the white band and entire occiput and nape velvet black ; chin, 

 throat, sides of the neck, axillaries, under wing coverts, lower tail coverts, 



