188 



2. Florida. Prof. Owen [P.]. 



1. [Florida.] Princeton Univ., N.J. [E.]. 



1. San Pedro Cays, Jamaica (H. E. Saunders Coll. 

 Dresser}. 



Sterna media, Horsf. 



Sterna arabica, Thien. Fortpflanz. ges. Vog. tab. Ixxxiii. fig. 4 (1845-54). 



Thalasseus affinis, Baedeker, Eier Eur. Vog. tab. 79. fig. 3 (1855-63). 



Sterna affinis, Konig- Warth. Ibis, 1860, p. 127, pi. v. fig, 1 ; Bree, Birds 

 Eur. iv. p. 87, pi. (1867). 



Sterna media, Dresser, Birds Eur. viii. p. 285 (1878) ; Leyge, Birds Cei/l. 

 p. 1030 (1880) ; Gates ed. Hume, Nests $ Eggs 2nd. B. iii. p. 299, 

 footnote (1890) ; Barnes, Jour. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc. vi. p. 299, 

 pi., fig. 990 (1891); Saunders, Cat. Birds B. M. xxv. p. 86 

 (1896) ; Sharpe, Hand-l. i. p. 135 (1899). 



The eggs of the Allied Tern are of a pointed oval form. The 

 ground ranges from white, with a faint tinge of cream-colour, to 

 pink and pinkish buff. The surface-markings consist of specks, 

 spots and small blotches of blackish brown or black, and many of 

 them are blurred and tinged with rufous at the margin. On some 

 examples the markings consist entirely of small spots, in others 

 small blotches are intermingled with the spots. In a small number 

 the markings are very spare and consist of minute dots ; and 

 two or three specimens in the large series in the Collection are 

 absolutely unmarked. The underlying markings consist of small 

 clouds and blotches of very pale inky-purple. The eggs measure 

 from 1-9 to 2-35 in length, and from 1-38 to 1-5 in breadth. 



389. Island near the Island of Arabe, Hume Coll. 

 Persian Gulf, 19th July (E. A. 

 Butler}. 



Sterna bergii, Licht. 



Sterna poliocerca, Thien. Fortpflanz. ges. Vog. tab. Ixxxiii. fig. 2 (1845-54). 

 Thalasseus pelecanoides, Macgill. Voy. ' Rattlesnake? ii. p. 358 (1852). 

 Thalasseus velox, Baedeker, Eier Eur. Vog. tab. 79. fig. 4 (1855-63). 

 Sterna velox, Konig- Warth. Ibis, I860, p. 127, pi. v. figs. 2, 3. 

 Thalasseus poliocercus, Gould, Handb. Birds Austr. ii. p. 396 (1865). 

 Sterna bergii, Legge, Birds Ceyl. p. 1026 (1880) ; North, Nests $ Eggs 



Austr. Birds, p. 354, pi. xix. fig. 2 (1889) ; Gates ed. Hume, Nests $ 



Eggs Ind. B. iii. p. 297 (1890) ; Barnes, Jour. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc. 



vi. p. 298, pi. . fig. 989 (1891); Saunders, Cat. Birds B. M. xxv. 



p. 89 (1896) ; Sharpe, Hand-l. i. p. 136 (1899). 



The eggs of the Large Crested Tern are the most varied and the 

 most beautiful of all the eggs of the Terns, and it is impossible to 

 give an adequate description of them. In shape they are broad 

 ovals, strongly pointed at the small end. The ground is most 

 usually cream-colour, but many eggs have the ground buff, ochra- 

 ceous, reddish cream-colour, reddish buff, pale yellow, pale green, 

 pale blue and salmon-pink, both pale and rich. The underlying 

 markings are of a pale purple and are usually small and incon- 

 spicuous, but sometimes they consist of huge blotches, covering a 

 considerable portion of the shell. The surface-markings are of 

 a dark umber-brown or blackish 'brown, and many of them are 



