§98 Birds of Celebes: Laridae. 



1883, 96; (15) Barnes, Ibis 1893, 178; (16) Kuscliel, J. f. O. 1895, 83; (17) Saund., 

 Cat. B. 1896, XXV, 86. 



a. Sterna affinis (I) Cretzschm. in Riipp. Atlas p. 23, t. 14 (1826); (2) Konig-Warth., 

 Ibis 1860, 127, pi. V (eggs); (3) Scbl., Miis. P.-B., Sternae, 1863, 6; (4) Finsch, 

 Neu Guinea 1865, 184; (5) Hartl., Vog. Madag. 1877, 383; (6) Rosenb., Malay. 

 Arcbip. 1878, 279; (7) id., Zool. Garten 1881, 168. 



Ii. Sterna bengalensis (1) Less., Tr. d'Orn. 1831, 621. 



c. Thalasseus torresii (1) Gld., P. Z. S. 1842, 140; (II) id., B. Austr. 1848, VII, pi. 25. 



(I. Pelecanopus medius (1) Wald., Tr. Z. S. 1872, VIII, 104; (2) Meyer, Ibis 1879, 145. 



For further synonymy and references cf. Finscb & Hartlaub 2; Heuglin .3; Salvador! S; 

 H. Saunders 17. 



Figures and descriptions. Gould c II; Dresser TT; Heuglin 3; Legge 7; etc. 



Breeding plumage. Head above down to the level of the lower eyelid, and nape 

 black, the nuchal feathers lengthened into a short crest; loral region, face, neck, 

 and entire under parts white; upper parts grey, the greater wing-coverts tipped 

 with white, the primaries frosted with pearl-grey, tail deeply forked — to a depth 

 of 50 mm or more. 



"L-is brown; bill orange-yellow; legs and feet black, soles of toes yellowish" 

 (Legge 7). 



Winter plumage. Like that of summer, except that the forehead is all white, and the crown 

 white streaked with black; nape and a mark in front of the eye black (Nr. 11829). 



Measurements. Wing 255 mm; tail c. 100 — 150; tarsus 28; middle toe with claw 25; exp. 

 culmen 50. 



Eggs. 2 or 3. '"There are two principal varieties mtli respect to coloration: (A) white or 

 greenish white with coarse spots, sometimes scattered, sometimes arranged in groups. 

 The centre of each spot is violet-grey or l)lackish grey, which colour passes into a 

 beautiful chestnut-brown and dark brown towards the periphery; the edges are gene- 

 rally burnt brown ... (B) Yellowish, sometimes with a reddish shade, dotted and 

 sti'iolated, the darkest points, dots, and streaks are black-brown or brownish red; 

 the margins of the spots shining brown or red" (v. Konig-Warthausen a 2, with 

 plate; see, also, Heuglin .3, Hume 12, Barnes 15). 



Nest. On slightly raised sandy fiats, covered with Madrepore-remains, not far from the 

 water's edge, in places where only a scanty vegetation of soda plants exists . . . nu- 

 merous nests often rather crowded together (Red Sea: Heuglin .5). 



Distribution. "Mediterranean, from Straits of Gibraltar (sparingly) eastwards to Egypt; Red 

 Sea; East Africa to Madagascar and islands of Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, Ai-abian 

 Sea, Lower Bay of Bengal, Malacca, Sumatra, Java, and Celebes ; Ai-u and Yule Id. 

 (8); Austraha, chiefly the north" (Saunders 17). 



In Celebes: — Macassar (S. Miiller a 3); N. Celebes (Forsten o 3); Strait of 

 Lembeh (Meyer d 2)] Lake Limbotto (Rosenberg a 7). 



Among the few species of Tern known from Celebes the present species 

 is most like (S. hergii, but is much smaller, darker grey on the upper parts, and 

 in the summer the black of the head reaches to the base of the upper bill. 

 Both species have the nuchal feathers so lengthened as to form a sort of crest. 

 The legs are black, the toes short and fully webbed. The Roseate Tern, Sterna 

 dougaUi Mont., which will probably be found in Celebes some day, since it is 

 known from the Moluccas and Australia as well as from the Indian countries, 



