Contributions to the OrnitJiology of India, S^c. 285 



(3.) — -Media, Horsf., lengalensis, Cuv. (he seems to ignore 

 hengalensis. Lesson,) Torresii, Gould, from Java, India, Ceylon, 

 North Australia. 



990 his. — Sterna cantiaca, Gmelin. — 5^. Striata, 

 Gmelin. — 8. Boijsii, Latham. — S. Bergii, Beichen- 

 hacli, nee Lichtenstein^ Tab. 19, Fig. 265. — /S. 



Acufiavida, Cabot. 



The sandwich-tern which- has hitherto apparently escaped the 

 observation of ornitholog-ists in India was excessively plentiful 

 in the Kurrachee Harbour and everywhere along- the Coast from 

 the mouths of the Indus to Gwader. I also procured it at 

 Muscat. This species is at once disting-uished by its long, 

 straight, black, yellowish -tipped bill. All the specimens which 

 I procured were in winter plumage, one only, shot on the Mek- 

 ran Coast, in the latter end of February, approached nearly to the 

 summer plumage. The males in this species are somewhat 

 larger than the females. The following are dimensions in the 

 flesh : 



Male, length, 17 to 18 ; expanse, 37 to 39 ; tail from vent, 

 6 ; wing, 11-5 to 12-5 ; bill at front, 2.'2 to 2*4 ; wings, when 

 closed, reach to from 0*2 to nearly 1 beyond the end of tail; 

 weight, 10 to 14 oz. 



Female, length, 16 to 17 ; expanse, 36 to 38 ; tail from vent,. 

 6 to 6-5 ; win^ 11 to 11*75 ; bill at front, 2'15 to 2*35 ; wings, 

 when closed, reach to from 0*75 to 1"1 beyond the end of tail; 

 weight, 12 oz. 



Description. — The legs and feet are black ; the bill is black 

 with the tips of both mandibles, for about &*35 to 0'5, pale 

 horny yellow. The irides brown. 



In summer plumage the whole of the forehead, top, and back 

 of the head, ear coverts and elongated broad occipital crest, glossy 

 black. The whole under parts, neck all round, upper tail coverts 

 and tail white ; the lower parts with a delicate roseate tinge. The 

 mantle and wings pale silvery g^rey ; all the quills margined 

 with white at the tips and on the inner webs, and beyond the 

 tips the greater portion of the inner webs, especially of the 

 earlier primaries, white. The first primary somewhat darker but 

 its outer web white on the lower surface. 



In the winter plumage the whole of the front and top of the 

 head becomes satin white, only in front of the eye there remains- 

 a narrow black crescent, and the feathers from the back of the 

 eye all round the crest are tipped dull black. The rosy hue of 

 the lower parts almost disappears. In the intermediate stage,. 

 in which most of my -specimens were procured, the whole cre&t 



