STERNINJ5. 427 



Summer plumage. Entire head, neck, upper back, rump, upper 

 tail-coverts, entire lower parts and tail, white, tinged with rosy, 

 except on the head, when the rosy tint is scarcely perceptible ; 

 mantle, secondaries, tertiaries, lesser and median wing-coverts, 

 and the upper greater-coverts, also the wing-lining, pale bluish 

 french-grey, rather pearly-grey on the back and tertiaries ; four 

 or five of the primary-coverts and edge of the wing white ; pri- 

 maries, the first white, except the outer web, tip and margin of 

 the inner web ; secondaries to fourth primaries white, the 

 margins of their outer webs narrower and decreasing in extent 

 terminally, and broadening and running up basally on their inner 

 webs, with the black tips broader successively ; fifth and sixth 

 primaries tipped white ; the outer web of the fifth greyish, and 

 that of the sixth slightly darker with a subterminal dark band. 



Very common during winter in the Kurrachee Harbour and 

 adjoining coast. 



GENUS, Hydrochelidon, Soie. 



Bill rather long, slender, very gently arched on the culmen ; 

 gonys with the ascending portion short ; tail short, slightly 

 forked ; tarsus moderate ; feet not fully webbed. 



Hydrochelidon hybrida, Pall. 



984. H. indica, Steph. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 837 ; 

 Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 32 ; Deccan, Stray 

 Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 440 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of 

 Sind, p. 323. 



THE SMALL MARSH TERN. 



Length, 10 to 11 ; expanse, 29 ; wing, 8*5 to 9 ; tail, 3*5 ; tarsus, 

 1 ;bill at front, 112. 



Bill lake-red ; irides brown ; feet dull red. 



In summer plumage, the head and nape black ; lores and a 

 broad line through the eyes, white ; back of neck, mantle, wings 

 and tail, darkish-grey ; chin, cheeks, and sides of neck, very pale 

 grey, deepening on the breast ; abdomen dull black ; under tail- 

 coverts white. 



In winter plumage, the forehead and round the bill white ; top 

 of head and nape more or less black, or dusky, edged with white ; 

 the whole lower parts white ; bill dusky lake ; feet dingy lake. 



The young have the head brownish, dusky on the occiput, and 

 the usual mottled plumage above ; primaries dark ashy ; the 

 bill dark brown, reddish at the base ; feet fleshy brown. 



The Whiskered or Small Marsh Tern is not uncommon during 

 the cold season. 



SUB -FAMILY, Sterninae. 



Bill long or moderate, entire, straight, compressed and pointed ; 

 the ' lower mandible angled ; nostrils longitudinal ; wing long and 



