204 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY 
Bill, black at tip, orange red at base below ; legs and feet, 
orange red ; claws, black. 
our females, shot at Yarkand or Sughuchak in April and 
_ June—Length, 13°5 to 14°1 ; expanse, 30°5 to 82; wing, 10°5 
e 10:65 tail, 5: 4 to 59; tarsus, 0:75 to 0°85 ; bill, Fang gape, 
1:85 to 9: 0; ‘losed wings exceed tail, 0°4 to 1° 0: : weight, 3°6 Oz. 
to 4°4 oz. 
Bill, black at tip, brownish red at base ; irides, dark brown ; 
lees and feet, brick red, orange red and dark red ; claws, black. 
This Tern arrives in the plains of Eastern Turkestan in April 
and migrates about September; it breeds in June. ‘This spe- 
cies was exceedingly numerous about Yarkand, fishing over 
pools, marshes, rice fields, and inundated fields ; its principal 
food seems to consist of a small fish which occurs very plenti- 
fully in Kashgharia, called Tini balk. 
This bird has a harsh shrill ery and is called in Turki 
Balakchi— The Fisher.’ 
988.—Sternula minuta, Linn. 
8. Yarkand, 20th June.—Leneth, 9°45; expanse, 20°7 ; 
wing, 70 ; tail, 3°2 ; tarsus, 0°7 ; bill, from gape, 1°6 ; closed 
wings exceed tail, 0°7 ; weight, 2 0z. Bill, greenish yellow, 
black at. tip ; irides, dark brown ; legs and feet, orange yellow ; 
claws, black. 
g. Yarkand, 25th July—Length, 9°9 ; expanse, 21 ; wing, 
@4; tail, 3-4 ; : tarsus, 0-7 ; bill, from gape, 1°55 ; closed wings 
exceed tail, 0: Je weight, 2 ‘on. Bill, greenish yellow thr -oughout ; 
lees and ee orange ; slanwe. planks 
“This Tern was frequently observed throughout the months 
of June and July, in the neighbourhood of Yarkand. It 
associated with Sterna fluviatilis, but was very much less numer- 
ous than that species. It is a seasonal visitant only to Hastern 
Turkestan, arriving about May and leaving cer tainly before 
the beginning of October. It breeds in Kashgharia, where it is 
known by the name of Balakchi—“ The Fisher. ”’ 
1005.—Graculus carbo, Linn. 
g. Tarim Langar, 23rd July, 1875.—Leneth, 32°8; expanse, 
55°b ; wing, 14; tail, 8°3 ; tarsus, 2:1; bill, from gape, 3:9; 
closed wings fall short of tail, 5°8 ; weight, 4 Ibs 2:25 oz. Bill - 
—upper mandible dusky above, grey horny at sides and tip— 
lower mandible, purplish horny ; gular pouch, orange yellow; 
legs and feet, black ; claws, brownish dusky. 
aie Tungtash, 8rd August.—Leneth, 33; expanse, 57°3; wing, 
13°7 ; tail, 7-8; tarsus, 2-2 ; bill, from gape, 3°8 ; closed wings 
fall short of tail, 6°9 ; weight, Atbs 10 oz. Bill—grey horny, 
