426 BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 



This beautiful Tern appears to frequent only the sea-coasts and not to 

 come inland. It breeds on isolated rocks and sand-banks. Mr. Parker 

 found a colony nesting in June on a low bank on Adam's Bridge, Ceylon ; 

 each nest, a mere depression in the sand, contained one or two eggs, and 

 their colour appears from his description to have been of the usual type, 

 buff blotched with brown. 



764. STERNA MEDIA. 



THE ALLIED TERN. 



Sterna media, Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 198 ; Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 377 ; 

 Sounders, P. Z. S. 1876, p. 655 ; Hume, S. F. v. p. 301 j Dresser, Birds Eur. 

 viii. p. 285, pi. ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi. p. 493 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 116 5 Legge, 

 Birds Ceylon, p. 1030. Sterna bengalensis, Less. Tr. d'Orn. p. 621 ; Hume, 

 Nests and Eggs, p. 655 ; id. S. F. i. p. 284, ii. p. 318, iv. p. 474. Thalasseus 

 bengalensis, Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 843 ; BL B. Burm. p. 163. 



Description. Summer plumage. Whole head, including the forehead and 

 occipital crest, glossy black ; lores, face, sides of the neck and all the 

 lower parts white ; upper plumage light silvery grey, paling slightly on 

 the tail ; quills dark grey, white on the inner portion of the inner webs. 

 (Jerdon.) 



Winter plumage. The forehead and lores white ; the crown white, 

 streaked with brown ; the nape, crest, a band on the side of the crown 

 running up to the eye, and a patch in front of the eye black. 



Iris brown ; bill orange-yellow ; legs and feet black, soles of toes 

 yellowish. (Legge.) 



Length up to 16 inches, tail up to 6, wing 12, tarsus 1-1, bill from gape 3, 

 fork of tail a little more than 2. 



The Allied Tern is said by Mr. Blyth to be found on the coasts of 

 Arrakan and Tenasserim. In this case it must also be found on the coast 

 of Pegu. No recent observer in Burmah has met with it. 



It occurs in the Mediterranean sea, ranging down the eastern coast 

 of Africa and along the whole southern coast of Asia through the 

 archipelago to Australia. 



This Tern frequents the sea-coast and is likely to be met with in 

 Burniah at all seasons of the year. Its breeding-haunts in Indian waters 

 have not yet been discovered. 



