STERNA 811 



Sterne de Dougall, French ; Paradies-Meerschwalbe, German ; 

 Don ff alls- Terne, Dan. 



< ad. (Massachusetts). Crown and nape glossy black ; upper parts 

 light French-grey ; the rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail white washed 

 with grey ; rest of plumage white ; under parts tinged with delicate rose- 

 colour ; first primary with the outer web blackish ; bill orange-red at the 

 base, otherwise black; legs orange-red; iris dark brown. Culmen T7,. 

 wing 9'0, tail 9'0, the lateral feathers extending nearly 6 inches beyond 

 the middle ones, tarsus 0'8 inch. Sexes alike. In winter the forehead 

 is white, the crown and nape brownish black marked with white, the bill 

 nearly black, and the under parts lack the rose tinge. 



Hdb. Europe, north to Britain, and rarely to Denmark ; 

 somewhat rare in South Europe, but has been recorded from 

 South Africa and the Azores ; the coasts of Asia north to the 

 Loo-choo Islands; China, Ceylon, the Andamans; Malaysia, south 

 to Australia and New Caledonia ; Eastern America from Massa- 

 chusetts to Venezuela ; West- Indies, and the Antilles. 



In general habits it resembles the Common and Arctic 

 Terns, but its cry is easily distinguishable from either of those. 

 It is essentially an oceanic species, and its breeding range is 

 very wide. Its eggs, 2 to 3 in number, are deposited on the 

 ground on the coast, in sandy localities, and on small islands, 

 and resemble those of the Common and Arctic Terns, but are 

 as a rule more elongate in shape, and measure about 1'67 

 by 1-18. 



1117. ALLIED TERN. 

 STERNA MEDIA. 



Sterna media, Horsf. Tr. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 198 (1820) ; Dresser, viii. 

 p. 285, pi. 583 ; Saunders, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxv. p. 86 ; Blanf. F. 

 Brit. Ind. Birds, iv. p. 313 ; S. affinis, Cretzschm. in Riipp. Atlas, 

 p. 23, Tab. 14 (1826) ; S. bengalensis, Lesson, Traite d'Orn. p. 621 

 (1831) ; S. torresii, Gould, P.Z.S. 1842, p. 140 ; id. B. of Austral, 

 vii. pi. 25. 



ad. (Egypt). Crown and nape deep black, the nuchal feathers 

 elongated ; neck, fore back, chin, throat, and under parts white ; mantle 

 ashy grey ; rump and tail pearly ash-grey, the outermost tail-feathers 

 white ; quills hoary grey on the outer web, the inner web blackish near 

 the shaft and tip, otherwise white ; bill yellow with a greenish tinge ; legs 

 and toes black, the soles pale yellowish ; iris brown. Culmen 2 '5, wing 

 11-6, tail 6'3, outer leathers 3 inches longer than the middle ones, tarsus 

 1*05 inch. In winter the forehead is dull hoary grey, the crown white 

 closely spotted with black, the nape black. 



