298 ASTOLA, A SUMMER CRUISE 



this is entirely seasonal, and that, so far as its absence and the 

 colour of head and mantle are concerned, the plate of the Zoo 

 represents fairly enough a cold weather specimen. Certainly, 

 I saw thousands at that season, but not one of them exhibited 

 any signs of the white nape band. — A. 0. H.] 



986 bis.— Sterna albigena, LicM. 



This was one of the commonest species we met with, being 

 plentiful all along the coast from Kurrachee to Henjam, and 

 associating often in numerous flocks. What I take to be the 

 young bird of the year is pure white below instead of grey as 

 in the adult, but 1 am not sure that the grey under surface is 

 anj'thing more than seasonal. 



At Jashk I saw an immense flock of Terns fishing at the 

 entrance of the bay, consisting principally of the present species 

 and S. minuta (?), with a few S. bengalensis aud a solitary Noddy. 

 I ran the gig through the flock to make sure of the different 

 species, bagging the Noddy with an easy shot as it rose off the 

 water. I have no doubt that Sterna albigena breeds along the 

 coast, but probably later on as we found no eggs. 



In the full breeding plumage the white cheek patch is very 

 conspicuous and assists one in identifying the species, often at a 

 considerable distance. I shot no specimens, as they are common 

 in the Kurrachee harbour, whence I had obtained specimens 

 previously. 



Measurements of a bird shot in the Kurrachee harbour as 

 follows : — 



Legs and feet bright red ; bill blackish, lake towards the 

 base j irides blackish brown. 



989.— Sterna bergii, Licht. 



Nearly all of the large Sea Terns we saw were collected in 

 croups on the island of Astola for the purpose of breeding, 

 and I have no doubt that the few stragglers we came across 

 along the coast intended going there for the same purpose 

 later on. 



I subjoin an extract from my nesting memoranda describing 

 the scene : — 



" On the 29th May 1877,1 landed at Astola, an island on 

 the Mekran Coast, which I have previously described about 

 24 inches S. W. of Pusnee. On reaching the summit, I found 

 the plateau covered from one end of the island to the other with 

 Lams hemprichii, which were evidently collected there for 

 breeding purposes, but there were no eggs on that date, although 



