292 LARID.E. 



September and October. They are not seen in the winter 

 months." Favier. 



The Black Tern, on the Spanish side, begins to appear about 

 the end of April. Is rather later than the Whiskered Tern, 

 nesting also later in the same situations as that species, but not 

 in such numbers. I have noticed quantities crossing the Straits 

 on the 10th of May, and they are often seen on arrival, hawking 

 about over cornfields and low ground near water. 



Head, neck, breast, and belly black ; vent and under tail-coverts white ; 

 under wing-coverts pale grey ; rest of plumage slate-grey ; bill black; legs 

 reddish brown. Length 10 inches. 



Autumn. Forehead, throat, and nape white ; below barred with white. 



327. Hydrochelidon leucoptera (Schinz). The White-winged 



Black Tern. 



On the African side the only instance recorded of the occur- 

 rence of this bird is a single specimen shot in May, 1869, at Sharf 

 el Akab, near Tangier. It is not included in Favier's list ; and 

 we never met with any on either side of the Straits, but three 

 shot in the marisma are in Lord Lilford's collection ; probably 

 they rarely wander so far west. I have several times imagined 

 that I saw some, but upon shooting the birds found them to be 

 fine old H. hybrida, which, when flying in the bright sunshine 

 and showing the blackish belly, is very apt to be mistaken for 

 the present species. 



Head, neck, underparts, and under wing-coverts black ; vent, tail, and 

 tail-coverts white ; bill dark red ; legs scarlet. Length 9^ inches. 



328. Hydrochelidon hybrida (Pallas). The Whiskered Tern. 

 Spanish. Paino mayor (Malaga) (Arevalo). 



11 This Tern is scarce near Tangier, and seen only on passage 

 during April, returning south in August. Immense numbers are 

 found breeding at the lakes of Eas el Doura, where, nesting 

 together in vast colonies, they bear the local name of Mershifc." 

 Favier. 



