STERNA. - HYDROCHELIDON. 269 



it visits the Red sea and coast of south- western Asia to Sind. 

 In the west it ranges to the Azores, the West Indies, both 

 coasts of Central America, and wanders to Colombia and 

 Brazil. American birds have been recognised as a distinct 

 race. 



Sterna fuliginosa. SOOTY TERN. 



Sterna fuliginosa Gmetin, Syst. Nat. i. pt. 2, 1789, p. 605: 

 Ascension Island. 



Sterna fuliginosa Gmel. ; B. O. IT. List, 1st ed. 1883, p. 183 j 

 Sounders, Oat. Birds B. M. xxv. 1896, p. 106 ; id. Manual, 

 2nd ed. 1899, p. 653. 



FuUglnosa=i'he colour of soot, fullgo. 



Distribution in the British Islands. A Rare Visitor. It 

 has occurred six times: Staffordshire, Oct. 1852 ; Berkshire, 

 June 1869 ; Somersetshire, Oct. 1885 ; Suffolk, March or 

 April 1900; Lancashire, Oct. 1901; Sussex, April 1911. 



General Distribution. The Sooty Tern is generally dis- 

 tributed and breeds on suitable islands and reefs throughout 

 the tropical and subtropical seas of the world, but is almost 

 unknown on the Pacific coast of South America. It occa- 

 sionally wanders as far north as Maine in North America, 

 to the Azores, and to Europe. 



Genus HYDROCHELIDON Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 563. 

 Type : If. niyra (Linn.). 

 Hydrochelidon, from v : 5 up water, and x e ^'<-3uv& Swallow. 



Hydrochelidon nigra. BLACK TERN. 



Sterna nigra Linnceus, Syst. Nat. 1758, p. 137 : Sweden. 



Hydrochelidon nigra (Linn.) ; B. O. V. List, Isted. 1883, p. 185 ; 

 Saunders, Cat. Birds B. M. xxv. 1896, p. 17 ; id. Manual, 

 2nd ed. 1899, p. 633. 



Nigra= black. 



Distribution in the British Islands. A Bird of Passage 



