424 BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH, 



762. STERNA MELANOGASTRA. 

 THE BLACK-BELLIED TERN. 



Sterna melanogaster, Temm. PL Col. 434. Sterna javanica, Horsf. Zool. Res. 

 in Java, Gen. Cat. ; Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 840 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 652 ; 

 Oates, S. F. v. p. 169 ; Wardlaw Ramsay, Ibis, 1877, p. 472 ; Anders. Yunnan 

 Exped. p. 694. Sternula jerdoni, Beavan, Ibis, 1868, p. 403 ; Hume, S. F. iii. 

 p. 348, note. Sterna melanogastra, Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 377 ; Bl. $ Wald. 

 B. Burm. p. 163 ; Saunders, P. Z. S. 1876, p. 645 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi. p. 492 ; 

 Hume, S. F. riii. p. 116; Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 1006; Oates, S. F. x. p. 247. 

 Pelodes javanica, Hume, S. F. iii. p. 193. 



Description. Summer plumage. Forehead, crown and nape black; lores, 

 sides of the head, chin and throat white, shading off into pale grey on the 

 breast ; abdomen, vent and sides of the body smoky black ; thighs and 

 sides of the body white ; the whole upper plumage, wings and tail grey, 

 the primaries brown at the tips and the shafts white. 



In winter the black portions of the head become white streaked with 

 blackish, and the black on the lower plumage disappears, being replaced 

 by pale grey. 



Bill orange-yellow, turning to yellow at the tip ; iris blackish brown ; 

 legs and feet orange-red ; claws black, that of the hind toe pale yellow. 



Length 13*5 inches, tail 6-8, wing 9'3, tarsus '55, bill from gape 1'8, 

 fork of the tail 4. 



The Black-bellied Tern is abundant throughout the Province and is a 

 constant resident. 



It occurs throughout India up to Scinde on the north-west and in 

 Ceylon. It is spread throughout the Indo-Burmese countries, and is re- 

 corded from Cochin China by Dr. Tiraud, who states that it is common in 

 that country. Count Salvadori enters it with doubt as an inhabitant of 

 Borneo ; but there is reason now to think that it is not found in that 

 island nor in any part of the Malay archipelago. 



It was most probably to a specimen of this Tern in immature plumage 

 that Lord Walden referred, species 638, in Mr. Blytlr's Catalogue, p. 163. 

 On asking Capt. Wardlaw Ramsay to allow me to see this specimen, he 

 replied that it could not be found, and Mr. Howard Saunders has no 

 recollection of having seen it. He kindly informs me that there was no 

 specimen of a Tern in Capt. Wardlaw Ramsay's collections from Burmah 

 about which any question could arise, and consequently he made no note 

 of this particular specimen, which he has no doubt was submitted to him 

 for examination together with other Terns. 



This Tern frequents inland waters, ponds, marshes and rivers, and is 



