376 NOTES ON CEYLONESE ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY, 



984. 6/s— Sterna nigra Lin. (310.) 



On the 29th of October last, I saw one of these Terns in 

 Kottior Bay, adjoining" this port. Mr. Holdsworth added this 

 species to our list in 1866, procuring a specimen at Aripo on 

 the North-west coast. 



936 fa's.— Sterna gracilis, Gould, (311.) 



A Tern, which I believe to be this species, has visited the coast 

 near Trincomalie in great numbers during this year. In May 

 it was the commonest of all our Sterna, collecting in flocks 

 around the nets of the fishermen and plunging in the most 

 fearless manner on the fish within a few feet of them. I por- 

 cured the first specimen but of a small flock frequenting the 

 mouth of the Mahawella Gunga in October last, and did not 

 observe any more until the early part of this year. In April 

 and May all I shot were changing plumage and appeared like- 

 wise to be in a transition state (probably they were mostly 

 young birds) as regards bill and feet. A1J possessed a darkish 

 band or wing-edge above the ulna, which was darker in mani- 

 festly immature specimens, having fulvous edgings to the 

 scapulars and tertials. In April individuals particularly, the 

 bill was darkish, with a considerable amount of reddish orange 

 at the base of the lower mandible, and the entire inside of 

 mouth red ; the feet and legs dusky orange ; the webs lighter 

 than the toes. Later on the bills were darker, the red of the 

 mouth confined to the palate and that at the base of lower 

 mandible less in extent; the legs and feet were unsullied red and 

 the wing-edge not so dark, My specimens average about 13 

 in length ; the wings long for the size of the bird, and in good 

 specimens of males as much as 102. Bill at front, 1"32 ; 

 tarsi, 0*8 ; mid toes with their claws, 095 ; tails, 5 - 4. 



Mr. Holdsworth in his catalogue records a specimen procur- 

 ed at Colombo in July and supposes it to be a winter visitor 

 from Australian seas. I did not notice it here (Trincomalie) 

 between October and April, and I dare say his supposition is 

 correct; at the same time I must mention that there are many 

 favourite localities for Tern which I did not visit during that 

 interval, and in which it may have been present. 



986 ter — Sterna Dougallii, Montague (312 bis.) 



This beautiful Tern, quite new to Ceylon, has been very 

 abundant here (Trincomalie) during this monsoon. I first ob- 

 served them at the end of May, when they were very numer- 

 ous round the Fort water. Their graceful appearance, with 

 their long parakeet-like tails, attracted my notice, and I speedi- 

 ly bagged a number of specimens. At the first every bird I 

 procured was a male, but about the end of June I noticed them 



