Birds of Celebes: Laridae. 897 



would appear that the species is not rare. We suppose it to be a resident, as 

 a number of specimens were collected by Meyer at the Togian Islands in 

 August, and the bird breeds in India — except the Central and Southern parts 

 of the country, — and in Australia. Mr. Saunders makes mention of some 

 appreciable racial differences in this species; these are: slightly smaller size in 

 India, a darker hue in the resident birds of S. Africa, a tendency to paler tints 

 in Australia. 



The members of the genus H^drochelidon may be distinguished from the 

 other Terns by their toes being only slightly webbed — not more so, in tact, 

 than in such a bird as Phalaropus, and Naumann remarks of the present 

 species that it is hardly ever to be seen swimming, and, even then, there is 

 no forward paddling, as the bird simply rests a little upon the water. The 

 web connecting the outer toe, which is the larger web, is indented almost as 

 far down as the distal end of the first joint of the middle toe, the other web 

 is considerably shorter. Four species of Hydiochelidon are admitted by Mr. 

 Saunders (Catalogue of Birds 1896, XXV, Gaviae). The Whiskered Tern may 

 be distinguished from its three allies in winter by its larger size, further from 

 H. kucoptera by its grey tail forked to a depth of about 2 cm, and from H. niyra 

 by its larger feet. The fourth species is the American form of H. nigra, 

 H. surinamemis. In its summer plumage II. hybrida is very different from them. 

 As Naumann remarks, this species by its size, form, colour, markings and to some 

 extent even in its habits stands midway between the Common Tern, Sterna 

 hirundo and H. nigra. 



GENUS STERNA L. 



In the true Terns the feet are somewhat small, with the anterior toes 

 webbed not quite to their ends, the middle toe and claw longer than, or equal 

 to, the tarsus; the tail forked, more or less deeply; the wing long, more than 

 twice the length of the secondaries; the first primary the longest; more or less 

 of the head black in the breeding season, in one species this colour being 

 reduced to a black transocular streak. Food: fish, caught by plunging. 



Mr. H.Saunders (1S96) describes 33 species, of cosmopolitan distribution. 



^ 382. STERNA MEDIA Horsf. 

 Lesser Yellow-billed Tern. 



Sterna media (1) Horsf., Tr. L. Soc. 1821, XIH, 199; (2) Finsch & Hartl, Vog. Ost- 

 Afi'. 1870, 830; (3) Heuglin. Orn. N.-O. Afr. 1871, 1430; (4) Salvad., Cat. Ucc. 

 Borneo 1874, 377; (5) Saiind., P. Z. S. 1876, 655; (VI) Dress., B. Eui-ope Vm, 

 285, pi. 583 (1878); (7) Legge, B. Ceylon 1880, 1030; (8) Salvad., Orn. Pap. 

 1882, ni, 437; (9) W. Bias., J. f. 0. 1883, 129, 140; (10) Gates, B. Br. Bunnali 

 1883 n 426; (11) Earns., Tab. List 1888, 23; (12) Gates ed. Hume Nests & Eggs 

 Ind. B. 1890, ni, 299; (13) Salv., Orn. Pap. Agg. 1891, 211; (14) Konig, J. f. O. 



Mejer i; Wiglesworth, Birds of Celebes (Dee. Uth, ISil"). 113 



