h 



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 >ii. 



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.'«t 



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•lid _^ "'*j 



■^' the "'•''' 



of 



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III 



on 



the bare- 



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vs 



r. 



-«w drv 



iite 



■i 





r 



oarroiw '^ 



' "■--". or pale 



^l 



je 



^ .> uig fantastic skpes 

 :: ' J with a darker 



im 



(iff 



middle of tie 

 i broad dart 



^bkilu^li brown; and 



1 



i-browD colour. 



V 



Order ANSERES.] 



[Fam. LARID^. 



STEENA CASPIA. 



(CASPIAN TERN.) 



Sterna tscliegrava, Lepecliin, N. Comm. Petrop. xiv. p. 500 (1769). 



Sterna caspia, Pallas, N. Comm. Petrop. xiv. p. 582 (1769). 



Sterna megarhynchos^ Meyer and Wolf, Taschenb. deutsch. Vogelk. 



Thalasseus caspius^ Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 563, 



Hydroprogne caspia^ Kaiip, Natiirl. Syst. p. 91 (1829). 



Sylochelidon halthica^ Brelim, Vog. Deutschl. p. 769 (1831). 



Sterna scJdllingii, Brelim, torn. cit. p. 770 (1831). 



Sylochelidon caspia^ Brehm, torn. cit. p. 770 (1831). 



Helopus caspius^ Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1224. 



Thalassites melanotis^ Swains. B. of W. Afr. ii. p. 253 (1837). 



Sylochelidon strenuus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1846, p. 21. 



Sylochelidon melanotis, Bonap. C. E. xlii. p. 772 (1856). 



Sterna melanotis, Hartl. Orn. Westafr. p. 254 (1857). 



Sterna vulgaris^ Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7472. 



Thalasseus imperatory Coues, Pr. Phil. Acad. 1862, p. 538. 



ii. p. 457 (1810) 



Native name, — Tara-nui. 



Ad. ptil. (Estiv, suprk dilute cinereus, uropygio et supracaudalibus albis : ca-udgt alba : tectricibus alarum dorso 



concoloribus : remigibus extus canescentibus^ primariis versus apicem saturatioribus^ scapis albis^ pennis 

 ■ minoribus et secundariis dorsalibus pallida cinereis : pileo et nucha cristata nigris : facie laterali a 

 narium basi ductS- cum coUo laterali et corpore subtus toto albis : rostro Isete corallino, flavo vario, 

 versus apicem brunuesceute^ apice ipsi corned : pedibus nigricanti-brunneis : iride nigrS.. 



a 



Ad. ptil. Mem, similis ptilosi eestivse, sed pileo albo minute nigro striolato. 



Adult in summer. Forehead and upper part of the head^ described by a line from the posterior edge of the 

 nasal groove^ on each side^ passing immediately under the eyes^ and meeting in an acuminate point 

 below the occiput^ satiny black; back^ rump^ and upper surface of wings and tail delicate silvery grey; 

 primaries darker grey, with white shafts ; the rest of the plumage pearly white. Irides black ; bill 

 beautiful coral-red, mixed with yellow, shaded with brown near the tips of both mandibles, which are 

 horn-coloured; legs and feet blackish brown. Length 22 inches; extent of wings 53; wing, from 

 flexure, 16'25; tail 6'25 (middle feather 1*5 shorter) ; bill, along the ridge 2*6, along the edge of lower 

 mandible 3*6; bare tibia '5; tarsus 1-75; middle toe and claw 1"5. 



Adult in winter. Differs in having the black plumage of the head largely spotted with white, especiallj' 

 the forehead and lores. 



2 2 



on 



