THE DECCAN AND SOUTH MAHRATTA COUNTRY. 441 



abundantly in the Persian Gulf, on the islands near Bushire, 

 in June, whence I have procured eggs. 



988 ter.— Sterna saundersi, Uume. Saunders' Little 

 Tern. 



Cold weather visitant. Not common. A single specimen 

 was obtained along the Ratnagiri coast by Mr. Vidal. I ob- 

 served a Tern of the minuta group flying about the tank, out- 

 side of the Fort at Belgaum, but whether it belonged to this or 

 one of the other four species I cannot say. I have not heard 

 of its occurrence in any other portion of the region, except 

 Mr. Fairbank's general remark in his list of Mahratti species 

 after 983, 984, 985, 987 and 988, " rarely found by our tanks 

 and rivers." 



989. — Sterna bergii, Licht. The Large Sea Tern. 



Cold weather visitant. Not uncommon. Mr. Vidal records 

 it from the coast of Ratnagiri. Jerdon also mentions it from 

 the Malabar coast. It does not occur inland. 



990. — Sterna media, Eorsf. The Lesser Sea Tern. 



Cold weather visitant. Not very common. Recorded from 

 the coast of Ratnagiri by Mr. Vidal. Like the last it is a mari- 

 time species and does not occur inland. 



992.— Sterna ansetheta, Scop. The Panayan Tern. 



Mr. Hume found this species in enormous numbers on the 

 Laccadive islands along the Malabar coast, and again where 

 they had evidently bred on the Vengurla Rocks (S. F., IV., 

 420, 474), whence Mr. Vidal also obtained dessicated specimens. 



992 bis.— Sterna fuliginosa, Gm. The Sooty Tern. 



Probably a permanent resident. Mr. Hume mentions one 

 shot in the Bombay harbour, and found it breeding in abund- 

 ance on the Laccadive islands along the coast, further south. 

 It probably occurs, therefore, all along the Coast. 



995.— Rhynchops albicollis, Swains. The Indian 

 Skimmer. 



Probably only a seasonal visitant. Rare. Mr. Davidson 

 procured a single specimen on the Bhima river. I have no 

 other record of its occurrence throughout the region, though 

 Jerdon remarks, " found throughout India, frequenting rivers, 

 especially the larger ones." 



