432 STERNIN.E. 



the ground color varies from pale buff to warm salmon color ; 

 the markings are of two colors dark burnt sienna and pale inky- 

 purple. They measure 2 '4 5 by 17. 



Sterna media, Horsf. 



990. T. bengalensis, Less. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 

 843 ; Butler, Deccan ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 441 ; Mur 

 ray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 321. 



THE SMALLER SEA TERN. 



Length, 15 to 16 ; wing, 12 ; tail, 6 '5 ; tarsus, 1*23 ; bill at front, 

 2-25. 



Bill yellow ; irides deep brown ; legs black. 



Whole head, including the forehead and occipital crest, glossy- 

 black ; lores, face, sides of 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. 



In winter plumage the entire forehead and lores are pure 

 white, the crown white, the feathers centred dusky ; occiput 

 dusky, the feathers slightly margined with white ; a spot in front 

 of the eye, and a line behind it, black. 



The Smaller Sea Tern is most abundant in the Kurrachee 

 Harbour and all along the coasts. 



It breeds on islands in the Persian Gulf. 



Sterna cantiaca, Gm. 



990fe. Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 321. 



Length, 17'5 to 18 ; wing, ll'o to 12'5 ; tail, 6 to 6'2 ; bill at 

 front, 2 to 2'4. 



Bill black, tipped yellowish- white ; irides brown ; legs and feet 

 black. 



Forehead, crown, back of neck, and nape, occipital crest and 

 ear-coverts, glossy black ; sides of the face, chin, throat, neck 

 in front and behind, breast and entire lower parts, white, tinged 

 with rosy ; mantle and wings pale silvery -grey ; the first pri- 

 mary is slightly darker than the rest, with more than half of the 

 inner webs near the shaft white ; the next two or three paler, 

 also the succeeding ones, till they shade away into the color of 

 the wing-coverts ; their inner webs greyish-white or white ; 

 under wing-coverts white ; tail forked, white ; the external 

 feathers on each side slightly greyish on their outer webs ; upper 

 tail-coverts white. 



In winter plumage the whole of the head is white or mottled 

 with white and black, and there is a crescentic narrow black 

 spot in front of the eye ; mantle and wings as in the summer 

 plumage. 



This Tern is common in the Kurrachee Harbour and on the 

 Sind and Mekran Coasts. It breeds in the Persian Gulf. 



