BRIDLED TERN. 97 



Nestling in down. Buffy-white, darker on the throat and paler on the abdomen 

 with an admixture of black on all the upper-parts, except the head. 



Nest. A depression in the sand. 



Eggs Clutch, two ; ground-colour stone, marked all over, but more at the 

 larger end, with dark purple and brown spots ; axis 63 mm., diameter 45 



Nesting-season. March, April, May, August, September, and November' (West 

 Australia.) October and November. (Island in Franklin Sound.) 



Distribution and forms. World-wide distribution, but forms not yet accurately 

 determined, thus : H. c. ca^pia (Pallas) from the Caspian Sea is in use for all Palsearctic 

 els, while the North American H. c. imperator Coues, from North America though 

 >bviously a larger form is not yet acknowledged by American authorities' ; there 

 may be other recognisable forms, but the Australian H. c. strenua (Gould) from 

 Tasmania is notably larger in all its measurements, the bill noticeably so while 

 H. c.yorki Mathews from North Queensland is smaller throughout, but .still large 



' 



tT rif \ m ^^ and Iredale fr m New Zealand is * smal er race 

 hough still larger than the typical form ; thus, culmen 71, H. c. strenua 75 He 

 caspia 66 mm. ; wing 400 against 420 mm. for the Australian form. 



Genus MELANOSTERNA. 



Melanosterna Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Bengal Vol XV r> <m ISIA r 10^-7 -< 

 monotypy): Sterna ancethetus Scopoli. 847 ^' T ^Pe (by 



genera of Sternid* retain the scutes unbroken. The inner to! H^remeS short 

 Coloration dark above, white below. 



70. Melanosterna anasthetus. BRIDLED TERN. 



eL F10r ' Faun * Insub - P'- - P- 2, 1788 : PhHippine Island, 

 (pt " XXXV '>' DeC ' lst ' 1848 ' Ma *^. Vol. II., pt. 4, pi. 114, Nov. 



v - Rec - n - 7 - ^ ^ *- *. 



DISTRIBUTION. Tropical Australian Seas 





w s^*sK ' ri> 



to the adult male ; bill and feet black ; iris dark brown. 



