﻿176 
  Lieut. 
  H. 
  E. 
  Barnes 
  on 
  the 
  Birds 
  of 
  Aden. 
  

  

  I 
  give 
  the 
  measurements 
  of 
  the 
  only 
  two 
  specimens 
  I 
  

   shot 
  : 
  — 
  Length 
  16"5, 
  16 
  inches^ 
  expanse 
  39^ 
  40, 
  wing 
  13*4, 
  13, 
  

   tail 
  5'5, 
  5"5, 
  tarsus 
  1*8, 
  1'75, 
  bill 
  at 
  front 
  1*3, 
  1*28, 
  bill 
  at 
  

   gape 
  2*2, 
  2*23. 
  Bill 
  and 
  feet 
  dusky 
  red 
  ; 
  iris 
  yellow-brown. 
  

  

  115. 
  Larus 
  kidibundus, 
  Linn. 
  

  

  Not 
  uncommon 
  ; 
  one 
  caught 
  on 
  a 
  fishing-line 
  on 
  the 
  12th 
  

   January 
  measured 
  : 
  — 
  Length 
  14*75 
  inches, 
  expanse 
  34, 
  wing 
  

   11-4, 
  tail 
  4*2, 
  tarsus 
  I'S, 
  bill 
  at 
  front 
  1-3, 
  bill 
  at 
  gape 
  2-12. 
  

   Bill 
  and 
  feet 
  red, 
  tipped 
  dusky 
  ; 
  iris 
  brown. 
  

  

  116. 
  Larus 
  hemprichi, 
  Bp. 
  

  

  Hemprich's 
  Gull 
  is 
  the 
  commonest 
  Gull 
  in 
  Aden 
  harbour, 
  

   and 
  must 
  breed 
  not 
  very 
  far 
  away 
  ; 
  they 
  are 
  much 
  less 
  

   common 
  during 
  the 
  months 
  of 
  June, 
  July, 
  August, 
  and 
  

   September 
  than 
  at 
  other 
  times. 
  I 
  have 
  eggs 
  from 
  the 
  

   Persian 
  Gulf; 
  but 
  I 
  am 
  of 
  opinion 
  that 
  they 
  also 
  breed 
  in 
  

   the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Aden, 
  as 
  even 
  in 
  the 
  hot 
  season, 
  when 
  they 
  

   are 
  presumably 
  away 
  breeding, 
  a 
  flock 
  will 
  often 
  appear 
  and 
  

   remain 
  for 
  an 
  hour 
  or 
  so. 
  

  

  At 
  low 
  tide 
  they 
  frequently 
  assemble 
  in 
  huge 
  flocks 
  of 
  

   some 
  hundreds, 
  standing 
  so 
  closely 
  packed 
  together 
  that 
  if 
  

   a 
  gun 
  were 
  discharged 
  amongst 
  theai 
  some 
  fifteen 
  or 
  twenty 
  

   Avould 
  be 
  shot 
  ; 
  they 
  remain 
  packed 
  in 
  this 
  fashion 
  for 
  hours 
  

   together, 
  scarcely 
  one 
  moving, 
  until 
  the 
  fishing-boats 
  return, 
  

   when 
  they 
  rise 
  in 
  an 
  apparently 
  confused 
  crowd, 
  and 
  with 
  

   clamorous 
  cries 
  hover 
  over 
  the 
  boats, 
  waiting 
  for 
  the 
  fisher- 
  

   men 
  to 
  throw 
  out 
  their 
  dead 
  and 
  unused 
  bait, 
  which 
  consists, 
  

   as 
  a 
  rule, 
  of 
  sprats 
  and 
  other 
  small 
  fishes. 
  These 
  flocks 
  do 
  not 
  

   consist 
  exclusively 
  of 
  Hemprich's 
  Gull 
  ; 
  on 
  one 
  side 
  may 
  be 
  

   fifty 
  or 
  a 
  hundred 
  of 
  Larus 
  ridibundus, 
  and 
  here 
  and 
  there, 
  

   conspicuous 
  by 
  their 
  greater 
  size, 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  small 
  parties 
  

   of 
  the 
  Great 
  Black-backed 
  Gull. 
  

  

  A 
  male 
  shot 
  on 
  the 
  28th 
  January 
  measured 
  : 
  — 
  Length 
  17 
  

   inches, 
  expanse 
  44, 
  wing 
  13, 
  tail 
  5, 
  tarsus 
  2, 
  bill 
  at 
  front 
  1*8, 
  

   bill 
  at 
  gape 
  2"3. 
  Bill 
  bluish, 
  black 
  at 
  tip 
  ; 
  legs 
  and 
  feet 
  leaden 
  

   black 
  ; 
  iris 
  dark 
  brown. 
  

  

  117. 
  Sterna 
  albigena, 
  Eeichenb. 
  

  

  The 
  White-cheeked 
  Tern 
  is 
  not 
  very 
  common. 
  I 
  saw 
  a 
  

  

  