270 AVKS NATATORES. [STERNA. 



A rare species in this country, first described by Montagu, who ob- 

 tained specimens from the coast of Sussex. According to Temminck, 

 very abundant in Hungary. Said to breed on the marshy borders of 

 salt-water lakes, and to lay three or four eggs. Food, winged insects. 



(2. ANGUS, Steph.) 



289. S. stolida, Linn. (Black Noddy.) Forehead and 

 crown whitish ; the rest of the plumage, as well as the 

 bill and legs, black. 



S. stolida, Lath. Ind. Orn. vol. n. p. 805. Noddy, Lath. Syn. 

 vol. in. p. 354. Black Noddy, Steph. in Shaws Gen. Zool. vol. xin. 

 p. 140. pi. 17. 



DIMENS. Entire length fifteen inches: length of the bill (from the 

 forehead) one inch nine lines, (from the gape) two inches ; of the tarsus 

 eleven lines ; of the tail five inches ; from the carpus to the end of the 

 wing ten inches. 



DESCRIPT. Forehead and crown whitish, passing into ash-gray on the 

 occiput and nape : all the rest of the plumage brownish black, deepest on 

 the quills and tail-feathers : wings just reaching to the extremity of the 

 tail, which is even, or somewhat rounded, at its tip : bill and legs black : 

 the membranes of the toes entire, without any indication of a notch. 



Two adult individuals of this species were taken a few years since 

 during Summer on the Wexford coast, between the Tasker Lighthouse 

 and Dublin Bay. From one of these, which was obligingly submitted to 

 my examination by Mr W. Thompson of Belfast, the above measure- 

 ments and description were taken. Not previously known as British. 

 Frequently met with at sea, but generally within the Tropics. Stated 

 by Latham to breed in the Bahama Islands, laying its eggs on the bare 

 rocks. 



GEN. 109. LARUS, Linn. 



(1. XEMA, Leach.) 



290. L. Sabini, Sabine. (Saline's Gull) 



Xema Sabini, Leach in Rosss Voy. App. p. Lvii. with fig. Larus 

 Sabini, Sab. in Linn. Trans, vol. xu. p. 520. pi. 29. Sabine's 

 Xeme, Steph. in Shaw's Gen. Zool. vol. xin. part i. p. 177. pi. 20. 



DIMENS. Entire length from twelve inches six lines to fourteen 

 inches : length of the bill one inch ; of the tarsus one inch six lines ; of 

 the tail five inches : breadth, wings extended, about thirty-three inches. 

 SAB. 



DESCRIPT. (Adult male and female in summer.) " The whole of the 

 head, and upper part of the neck, a very dark ash or lead-colour ; the 

 remainder of the neck behind and before, as well as the breast and belly, 

 pure white ; a narrow black collar surrounding the neck at the meeting 

 of the ash-colour and white : back, scapulars, and wing-coverts, ash- 

 coloured, very much lighter than the head, but darker than the corres- 

 ponding parts of the Larus ridibundus ; the lower ends of the scapulars 

 tipped with white : the first five primary quills with black shafts, the 

 whole outer webs of these black, the edge of their upper webs white to 

 within an inch and a half of the tips, tho white sometimes continued to 

 the tip ; the tips of the first and second of these quills in some white, in 



