894 Birds of Celebes: Laridae. 



b. Sterna grisea (1) Horsf., Tr. L. Soc. 1821, Xm, 199. 



Hydrochelidon leucoptera (1) Boie, Isis 1822, 563; (IIj Dresser, B. Europe YTTT, 321, 

 pis. 590, 591 (1875); (3) Saund., P. Z. S. 1876, 641; (4) David & Oust, Ois. 

 Cliine 1877, 524; (5) Legge, B. Ceylon 1880, 1000; (6) Gates, B. Br. Bumiali 

 1SS3, II, 420; (7) Brd., Brew. & Ridgway, Water B. N. Am. 1884, H, 323; 

 . (8) Buller, B. N. Zeal. 2'"J ed. 1888, H, 77; (9) Everett, J. Str. Br. R. A. S. 

 1889, 210; (10) Saund., Cat. B. 1896, XXV, 6. 



c. Hydrochelidon nigra (1) Gray (nee Linn.), List Anseres Br. Mus. 1844, 180; (2) Wald., 



Tr. Z. S. 1872, Vin, 103; (3) Salvad., Cat. Ucc. Borneo 1874, 372; (4) id., Ann. 

 Mus. Civ. Gen. 1877, IX, 63; (5) W. Bias. & Nelirk., Verb. z.-b. Ges. Wien 1882, 

 432; (6) W. Bias., ib. 1883, 73; (7) Meyer, Isis, Dresden 1884, 6; (8) W. Bias., 

 Omis 1888, 634; (9) Vorderm., N. T. Ned. Ind. 1891, LI, 413; (10) Biittikofer, 

 Zool. Erg. Weber's Eeise 1893, IH, 285. 



d. Sterna nigra (1) Scbl., Mus. P.-B. , Sternae, 1863, 31. 



e. ? Hydrochelidon hybrida (1) Salvad. (nee Pall), Orn. Pap. 1882, HI, 566. 



f. Hydrochelidon fissipes (Pall.); (1) Taez., Faun. Orn. Sib. Orient. 1893, 11, 1015. 

 For further synonymy and references cf. Saunders 10. 



Figures and descriptions. Naumann all; Dresser //, and plates in otber standard works 

 on European birds; Legge 5; Oates 6\ Buller 8\ Saunders 10; etc. 



Breeding plumage. Head, neck, mantle and under parts including under wing- 

 coverts and axillaries black, deepest on bead and neck; back and scajjulars 

 blackish grey; lesser wing-coverts and metacarpal edge white, becoming pearl- 

 grey on the other wing-coverts and outer webs of primaries'), and more 

 slate-grey on the secondaries; shafts of quills white; rump, vent, upper and 

 under tail-coverts and tail white. Wing 210 mm; tail 67; tai'sus 18; middle toe 

 and claw 23; exposed culmen 23 [c^ ad., Europe — Nr. 1315). 



"Iris dark brown; bill reddish black; inside of mouth yellowish red; legs and 

 feet orange-red, claws black" (Legge 5). 



Sexes. Similar in coloration. 



Winter plumage. Differs from the summer dress in having the black of the head, neck and 

 under parts replaced by white, except on the occiput and nape, which are mottled 

 with black, and there is a black spot in front of the eye. 



Changing plumage. Moulting sfjecimens, with the head, neck and under parts varied -nith 

 black and white feathers, occur in early spring and autumn (Legge 5, Saunders 10). 



Young. "Posterior portion of the crown, a patch on the side of the head and one on the 

 hind neck dark sooty grey, the feathers with lighter margins, the patch on the hind 

 neck with brownish markings; rest of the head, neck and entii'e under parts piu-e 

 white; back and scapulars blue-grey, broadly tipped with blackish grey; wings as in 

 the adult in winter, but the wing-coverts tipped with light reddish brown, rump and 

 upper tail-coverts white; tail light French grey, becoming darker towards the tip" 

 (Dresser IT). 



Eggs. 3, rarely 4; short oval; shell delicate, smooth, without gloss; dark olive-yellow or pale 

 olive; shell-spots and dots grey-brown, thickly distributed, superficially blotched, dotted 

 and sci-atched with reddish black-brown, or black (Naumann a II). Size 34 X 25.5mm. 



Nest. Formed of bits of reed, rush, grass-stalks etc. in spots far out in marshes. 



Distribution. Central and Southern Europe in summer; Africa; temperate Asia eastward to 

 E. Siberia (fl), south to Australia and New Zealand; once in Barbados; once in 



') As Mr. Saunders (loj says, the pearl-grey, which has a frosted or Velvety ajjpearance on the pri 

 maries, soon wears oft' on the outer quills, leaving the webs sooty black. 



