530 LARIDJE. 



bushes in the swamps. Its cry is somewhat shrill, and not 

 unlike that of the preceding species. 



In the adult in summer the bill is blood-red ; the irides 

 dark brown ; forehead, crown, and nape black ; from the 

 base of the upper mandible, in a line below the eye to 

 the ear-coverts a stripe of white, forming the whisker or 

 moustache ; back, wing-coverts, upper tail- coverts and tail- 

 feathers uniform slate-grey ; first quill-feather lead-grey on 

 the outer web, and over a considerable portion of that part of 

 the inner web nearest to the white shaft, the other part of 

 the inner web greyish-white ; the outer webs of the other 

 primary and secondary feathers lighter grey than the inner 

 webs ; chin and throat greyish-white ; neck and breast slate- 

 grey like the back ; abdomen, thighs, and flanks dark lead- 

 grey; under wing and tail-coverts white; legs, toes, and 

 membranes red: the membranes deeply indented. Whole 

 length eleven inches and a half; from the carpal joint of the 

 wing to the end of the first quill-feather, nine inches and a 

 quarter ; length of the tarsus seven-eighths of an inch ; of 

 the middle toe three-quarters of an inch, claw of the middle 

 toe three-eighths of an inch, strong and curved. Indian 

 examples are, on the average, smaller. 



Adult birds in winter have the forehead, crown, and all the 

 under parts pure white ; occiput, neck, streaked with black ; 

 a black spot behind the eyes ; mantle, back, wings, tail- 

 coverts and tail-feathers uniform ash-grey; bill, legs, and 

 feet deep lake-red. 



Young birds of the year have the crown of the head, 

 occiput, and ear-coverts greyish-black; the feathers of the 

 back, scapulars, and secondaries dark brown in the middle, 

 barred and tipped with buff ; tail-feathers grey, darker 

 towards the tips, but margined with white ; beak brown, red 

 at the base ; legs and feet flesh-colour. 



The nestling is a clear ruddy-buff above ; a black spot at 

 the base of the upper mandible, followed by a warmer patch 

 of chestnut ; head and back streaked with black ; throat 

 brownish-black ; chest and under parts white. Of the three 

 Marsh Terns it is the most easily recognized. 



