THE PANAYAN TERN. 431 



The Eastern Little Tern is abundant throughout Pegu. Mr. Davison 

 did not meet with it in Tenasserim, nor docs Mr. Blyth record it from 

 Arrakau. It is unlikely, however, to be absent from these two Divisions, 

 for it is by no means a local species nor one that is rare. 



It appears to extend over a considerable portion of India (S. guulili) 

 and it is found in Ceylon. It ranges along the coast and through the 

 archipelago to Australia and northwards to China. 



This small species is very abundant in all the larger rivers ; also in 

 marshes and on large pieces of water. It is perhaps most abundant 

 in those parts of the river which are within tidal influence. It breeds 

 in Burmah during March and April, depositing four eggs in a small 

 depression on a sand-bank. 



769. STERNA ANJESTHETA. 

 THE PANAYAN TERN. 



Sterna anaesthetus, Scop. Del. Flor. et Faun. Insub. ii. p. 92 ; Saunders, P. Z. S. 

 1870, p. 664; Hume, S. F. iv. p. 474 ; Butter, S. F. v. p. 301 ; Hume $ Dav. 

 S. F. vi. p. 493 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 116 j Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 1040. Sterna 

 panayensis, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 607. Onychoprion anaesthetus, Jerd. B. 

 Ind. ii. p. 844'; Hume, S. F. ii. p. 320 ; Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 374. Haliplana 

 anaestheta, David et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 528. 



Description. Summer plumage. Forehead and a broad streak passing 

 backwards over the eye to a point just beyond it white; crown, nape, ear- 

 coverts and lores black ; chin, throat, cheeks, sides of the neck and the 

 whole lower plumage white ; the breast, abdomen and flanks tinged with 

 grey ; hind neck grey ; back, rump, upper tail-coverts, upper wing- coverts, 

 scapulars and tertiaries smoky brown ; edge of the wing white ; lesser 

 upper wing-coverts blackish ; quills blackish brown; tail smoky brown, the 

 outermost pair of feathers white except at the tip. 



In winter plumage the grey tinge on the breast, abdomen and flanks 

 disappears ; the crown becomes dull white streaked with blackish, and the 

 black band from the lores through the eyes disappears or is indicated only 

 by a few brown mottlings ; the hind part of the nape remains black and 

 forms a collar joining the ear-coverts. 



Bill, legs and feet black; hides deep brown. (Htune.) 



Length up to 15 inches, tail up to 7, wing 9'5, tarsus *8, bill from 

 gape 2. 



The Panayan Tern occurs in the Bay of Bengal, having been ob.^ru a 

 near the Andaman Islands and at other points, and it is of common 



