﻿178 
  Lieut. 
  H. 
  E. 
  Barnes 
  on 
  the 
  Birds 
  of 
  Aden. 
  

  

  thenij 
  plunging 
  into 
  the 
  water 
  at 
  short 
  intervals 
  with 
  some 
  

   force^ 
  each 
  bird 
  generally 
  emerging 
  with 
  a 
  small 
  silvery 
  

   fish 
  in 
  its 
  beak^ 
  which 
  it 
  disposes 
  of 
  by 
  a 
  backward 
  jerk 
  

   of 
  the 
  head, 
  when 
  the 
  fish 
  slips 
  down 
  its 
  throat. 
  If 
  the 
  bird 
  

   has 
  young 
  ones 
  in 
  the 
  neighbourhood, 
  instead 
  of 
  swallowing 
  

   its 
  finny 
  prey, 
  it 
  flies 
  straight 
  away 
  with 
  it. 
  

  

  120. 
  Sterna 
  media, 
  Horsf. 
  

  

  The 
  Lesser 
  Sea-Tern 
  is 
  still 
  more 
  plentiful, 
  breeding 
  in 
  

   great 
  numbers 
  on 
  the 
  adjacent 
  islands. 
  1 
  procured 
  a 
  splendid 
  

   series 
  of 
  eggs. 
  

  

  The 
  full 
  complement 
  of 
  eggs 
  is 
  three, 
  and 
  they 
  are 
  laid 
  ou 
  

   the 
  bare 
  ground, 
  after 
  the 
  manner 
  of 
  those 
  of 
  its 
  larger 
  

   relative. 
  They 
  are 
  oval 
  in 
  shape, 
  occasionally 
  moderately 
  

   broad, 
  and 
  are 
  pointed 
  at 
  one 
  end. 
  The 
  texture 
  is 
  fine, 
  but 
  

   glossless. 
  The 
  ground-colour 
  is 
  white, 
  rarely 
  bufiy 
  white. 
  

   The 
  primary 
  markings, 
  which, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  are 
  thinly 
  scattered 
  

   over 
  the 
  whole 
  surface, 
  are 
  very 
  dark 
  in 
  colour, 
  almost 
  black 
  ; 
  

   there 
  are 
  generally 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  large 
  blotches 
  of 
  this 
  colour, 
  

   blackish 
  in 
  the 
  centre, 
  but 
  becoming 
  reddish 
  brown 
  at 
  the 
  

   edges 
  ; 
  the 
  smaller 
  spots, 
  too, 
  are 
  often 
  surrounded 
  by 
  a 
  kind 
  

   of 
  reddish 
  nimbus, 
  which 
  adds 
  much 
  to 
  the 
  beauty 
  of 
  the 
  

   egg. 
  The 
  secondary 
  markings 
  are 
  pale 
  lilac 
  or 
  faint 
  inky 
  

   purple, 
  and 
  have 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  lying 
  beneath 
  the 
  surface 
  

   of 
  the 
  shell, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  few 
  in 
  number 
  and 
  often 
  not 
  very 
  

   apparent. 
  

  

  The 
  eggs 
  vary 
  greatly 
  in 
  size, 
  from 
  236 
  inches 
  to 
  1"9 
  in 
  

   length 
  and 
  from 
  1*5 
  to 
  I 
  '37 
  inch 
  in 
  breadth 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  average 
  

   of 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  series, 
  carefully 
  measured, 
  was 
  2- 
  15 
  by 
  1*44. 
  

  

  121. 
  Sterna 
  an.estheta. 
  Scop. 
  

  

  The 
  Panayan 
  Tern 
  is 
  not 
  uncommon; 
  a 
  female 
  shot 
  on 
  

   17th 
  December 
  measured 
  : 
  — 
  Length 
  14 
  inches, 
  expanse 
  30, 
  

   wing 
  10, 
  tail 
  5*75, 
  tarsus 
  0'8, 
  bill 
  at 
  front 
  1*6, 
  bill 
  at 
  gape 
  2. 
  

   Legs 
  and 
  feet 
  black 
  ; 
  Jerdon 
  says 
  coral-red 
  and 
  dusky 
  reddish 
  

   respectively. 
  

  

  122. 
  Sterna 
  fuliginosa, 
  Gra. 
  

  

  The 
  Sooty 
  Tern 
  is 
  fairly 
  common 
  and 
  breeds 
  close 
  by. 
  

   Dr. 
  Bartlett 
  received 
  two 
  eggs 
  from 
  an 
  island 
  near 
  Obok 
  

  

  