STERNA. 



193 



The eggs of the White-shafted Little Tern do not differ in any 

 respect from those of S. minuta described below. 



4. S.E. Ceylon, 30th June. Saunders Coll. 



4. Yokohama (H. Fryer). Seebohm Coll. 



Sterna minuta, Linn. 



Sterna minuta, Thien. Foripflanz. ges. Vog. tab. Ixxxv. fig. 3 a-f (1845- 

 54) ; Baedeker, Eier Eur. Vog. tab. 7. fig. 3 (1855-63) ; Hewitson, 

 Eggs of Brit. Birds, ii. p. 484, pi. cxxxiv. fig. i (1856) ; Dresser, 

 Birds Eur. viii. p. 279 (1876) ; Seebohm, Brit. Birds, iii. p. 289, 

 pi. 46 (1885) ; id. Eggs of Brit. Birds, p. 103, pi. 29. figs. 2, 5 

 (1896) ; Saunders, Cat. Birds B. M. xxv. p. 116 (1896) ; Sharpe, 

 Hand-l. i. p. 136 (1899). 



Sternula minuta, Saunders, Ibis, 1871, p. 399. 



Sterna sinensis, Gates ed. Hume, Nests $ Eggs Ind. B. iii. p. 312, part. 

 (1890). 



The eggs of the Little Tern are of an oval shape, but decidedly 

 pointed at the small end. The ground varies from very pale cream- 

 colour to drab or buff, and this is rather thickly marked with spots 

 and blotches of different shades of dark brown. The markings are 

 generally bold, and some of the blotches are of large size. The 

 underlying markings are of a pale inky-purple and are usually well 

 developed. The dimensions vary from 1*15 to 1-3 in length, and 

 from -85 to 1-05 in breadth. 



3. England. 



6. Farn Islands, 29th May. 

 2. Walney Island, Lancashire, 3rd 

 July (P. Godman). 



2. Walney Island, 4th June (H. 



Saunders). 

 6. The Warren, Carnarvon, 20th & 



22nd May (F. Nicholson : Har- 



gitt Coll.}. 

 5. Near Lydd, Kent, 25th May. 



4. Duugeness, Kent, 10th June. 



4. Island of Sylt, N. Frisian Is., June. 



3. Island of Sylt (Baker). 

 2. Island of Sylt, 2nd June. 



2. Jutland, 30th May (Ellingren). 



3. R. Guadalquivir, Spain. 



1. South Spain. 



172. Missolonghi, Greece, 31st May 



(H. Seebohm). 

 3. India. 

 50. Eastern Narra, Sind (Scrope Doig). 



2. Wazirabad, India, 28th April. 



3. Delhi, 14th May (C. T. Bingham). 

 11. Etawah, 6th April. 



3. Mirzapur, 25th March. 

 2. River Niger, W. Africa. 



Montagu Coll. 



W. Thorburn, Esq. [P.]. 



Salvin-Godman Coll. 



Saunders Coll. 

 Seebohm Coll. 



Saunders Coll. 



Col. W. Verner [P.]. 



Seebohm Coll. 



Saunders Coll. 



H. Durnford, Esq. [P.I. 



Seebohm Coll. 



Lord Lilford [P.]. 



Saunders Coll. 



Seebohm Coll. 



Hume Coll. 

 Hume Coll. 

 Hume Coll. 

 Hume Coll. 

 Hume Coll. 

 Hume Coli. 

 Dr. Cuthbert Christy [P.]. 



VOL. I. 



