FROM NORTH-WEST CEYLON. 489 



found between a -warm umber or sepia ground and a very 

 pale grey stone colour, in the latter case with a faint permanent 

 greenish tinge. The eggs are spotted and boldly blotched, 

 and clouded with dark umber-brown or warm sepia, in some 

 instances so dark as to be almost black, the deep tone often 

 overlying a lighter one. All have inferior clouds and spots 

 of light brownish purple, or faint inky-grey. Generally, the 

 markings exhibit a tendency to gyrate, but many exceptions 

 occur. In a considerable number of cases they are chiefly 

 clustered in a zone round the obtuse end, in these eggs being 

 sometimes confluent, particularly in the browner specimens, and 

 a few eggs have also scattered broken scratches of the same 

 colour as the other upper markings. Some have no blotches, 

 and spots are spread almost equally over their whole surface. 



When fresh, the ground colour of nearly all but the brown 

 eggs is permeated by a pale, delicate, very rich green, which, 

 converts the tint of the markings into a beautiful brownish 

 purple. A somewhat similar effect, on a smaller scale, is seen 

 in the eggs of Drymoeca insularis. The eggs are then lovely ; 

 but in a few weeks the green disappears, and leaves them 

 more or less dull and faded looking. When this green is 

 present the shells seem to be of a fine, rich, vellum-like 

 texture ; after it has gone they acquire a much coarser appear- 

 ance. It remains to be added that all taken were of about the 

 same date of laying ; the greatest variation in age could not 

 be more than four days. The dimensions of 20 eggs ai'e, 

 mean, 1-58" x M2" ; maximum length, 174," breadth, 1-20";. 

 minimum length; 1-48," breadth 1'05." 



Out of the large flock of Terns there were excellent oppor- 

 tunities of observing many birds closely, as they flew round 

 my head. Their bills varied greatly in colour, so much, indeed, 

 as to lead me to suppose at first that there must be two species. 

 Some were almost as bright and red as the feet, with little, if 

 any, black at the tip ; others paler at the base ; others nearly 

 black throughout; some appeared to be quite black. The 

 majority were bright orange-red at the base, and black for two- 

 thirds of the bill from the tip. The breasts had very little rose 

 colour ; it was not perceptible when the birds were flying past 

 at a short distance. 



The captured bird measured : — Adams Bridge £ {June) — 

 Length, 15-20; wing, 9*20 ; tail from vent, 675, 1-70 beyond 

 tips of wings ; fork 3-80 deep; tarsus, 0'80; bill from gape, 

 1-90. The bill was dull, dirty, reddish-orange at the base, 

 the rest being black ; legs and feet orange-red ; claws dark 

 brown, orange-red at base; mid-claw slightly pectinated on 

 the inner side. 



