806 LABILE. 



bill, and, it is said, by the mantle being a shade darker. The 

 eastern Asiatic bird L. vegce is another closely allied race. 



Distribution. L. cachinnans inhabits Southern Europe, Northern 

 Africa, and South-western Asia, ranging in winter as far east as 

 the head of the Bay of Bengal. It is common at that season 

 about some of the large jheels of Northern India, and is found in 

 Kashmir, whilst it abounds on the coast of Baluchistan and Sind. 

 The habits are precisely the same as those of L. affinis, except that 

 the present species occurs inland in winter. 



Subfamily STERNIN.E. 



The Terns, which constitute this subfamily, are more lightly 

 built birds than the Gulls and have a different flight ; moreover 

 they are to a far less degree swimming birds, for they rarely 

 settle on the water; when they alight, it is generally on land 

 (Anous is an exception). They subsist chiefly on living prey, 

 especially fishes, which they capture by darting upon them ; many 

 Terns also feed on Crustacea or various floating animals that 

 they scoop up from the sea, and others live to a great extent on 

 insects. 



The bill is straight, generally slender, the mandibles of about 

 equal length, with acute tips ; nostrils linear ; tail as a rule distinctly 

 forked, often exceeding the closed wings, which are long ; legs and 

 feet, with but few exceptions, small. 



Key to the Genera. 



a. Outermost tail-feathers longest. 



a'. Tail scarcely forked, short, less than 

 half as long as wing ; webs between 

 toes deeply emarginate HYDRO CHE LID ON, p. 307. 



b'. Tail distinctly forked but short, scarcely 

 more than ^ wing ; bill and legs stout 

 and strong ; bill half as long as tail or 

 more; webs between toes fully de- 

 veloped " HYDROPROGNE, p. 309. 



c. Tail distinctly forked, with the outer 

 rectrices more or less prolonged, and 

 generally more than half as long as 

 wing ; bill moderate ; webs well de- 

 veloped STERNA, p. 310. 



b. Outer tail-feathers short, 3rd or 4th from 



outside longest ; plumage dark ANGUS, p. 325. 



Terns are known as Tthari, Ganga-cldl, and Mach-loulca in 

 Hindi ; liamadasu and Samdrapukaha in Telugu ; Kivi by the 

 Gonds; Liniya and MutJieru Kerella by the Cingalese; Kadal 

 Kuruvi by Ceylon Tauiuls ; and as Zin-yan and Myit-htway in 

 Burmese. 



