1004 STERNA SEENA. 



06s. There seems to be little variation in the size of this Tern. Mr. Cripps furnishes the following data concerning 

 a male shot in Furreedpore : — " Length 14-75 inches ; expanse 31*0 ; wing 10-75 ; tail from vent 4 - 66 : tarsus 

 0-83 ; bill from gape 2-40, at front 1-62 : weight 5-25 oz. Irides dark brown ; bill bright yellow ; legs vermilion ; 

 mouth inside yellow." The peculiarly coloured legs will always serve to identify this species at once. 



Distribution. — This River-Tern is said by Layard to be common in Ceylon. It may be, perhaps, a 

 straggler to the island; but the statement that it is common is most certainly erroneous, and it is quite evident 

 from Layard's words that he has been mistaken in his identification of the species. He says (/. c.) : — " Th. ben- 

 galensis and S. aurantia pass in vast flights westward along the coral reefs on the north of Ceylon during the 

 months of May and June." The latter is entirely a River-Tern, never frequenting the open coast; and the 

 former, with which our bird is coupled, is a Sea-Tern, exclusively confined to the coast, and associating only 

 with its larger relative, the Crested Sea-Tern, and another large species, the Gull-billed Tern. I was ever on 

 the look-out for this species ; and though I shot very many unfortunate examples of the bird called by Layard 

 Thalasseus bengalensis (which is about the same size, and has a yellow-looking bill when on the wing), in the 

 hopes of procuring a River- Tern, I did not succeed in getting one the whole time I was on the island, nor 

 did I meet with any one who had ever shot it. As Layard informs me that all his birds were identified by 

 Blyth, it follows, in all probability, that he procured it, and I therefore do not relegate it to the category of 

 those species which have only been seen and not satisfactorily identified. It may occur as a straggler ; but 

 there are no favourable situations for it iu the island, as it chiefly affects large rivers with sandy banks, and is 

 a stationary species. 



In India it is common on most of the large streams, and is also found about large tanks, whither it 

 gtrays from its more accustomed haunts, the rivers of the peninsula. I am not aware that it is very common 

 in Southern India; but the Rev. Dr. Fairbauk records it from the rivers in the Deccan, and it is plentiful on 

 the Mahanadi, Godaveri, and Koel rivers ; and the other districts from which Mr. Ball notes it are the 

 Rajmehal hills, Bardwan, Lohardugga, Orissa, Raipur, and Sambalpur. Its home, par excellence, is the 

 Ganges and its many sandy-bedded affluents ; and it follows the Hooghly down to its mouth. On the rivers of 

 Furreedpore it is common and resident, breeding on the Brahmapootra ; but in the streams of Cachar, further 

 east, it is rare. In Lower Pegu it is abundant, frequenting the whole course of the Irrawaddy throughout 

 the year. It is found on the Sittang, Salween, and other streams as far south as Moulmein, beyond which, 

 in Tenasserim, it does not seem to have been observed. Turning westward, we find Mr. Hume recording it 

 as fairly abundant in Sindli on the Jhclum, Chenab, and Indus, right down to the sea, being even noticed in 

 Kurrachee harbour, but it was not seen outside at sea ; in all the large " broads " of the province of Sindh it 

 abounds, says this author. 



Habits. — As has been already noticed, this fine Tern is a dweller on rivers, and is said to hunt singly or 

 in pairs, or in very small parties, following the course of the sacred Ganges and other mighty kindred streams, 

 resting on their glistening sand banks when fatigued with its labours, and rearing its young in these glaring 

 spots beneath the rays of a tropical sun. Its companion seems to be the remarkable Indian Skimmer 

 (Rhi/nchops albicollis) , which has never yet favoured Ceylon with its presence, but which spends its existence 

 on the broad rivers of the mainland. After the manner of the inland group of Marsh-Terns, the present 

 species, however, frequents also jheels and tanks, and must, in these spots, find an abundance of similar food 

 to that partaken of by the latter-mentioned birds. Its flight is swift and well sustained, and its note is a 

 shrill ciy. 



Nidification. — As early as the middle of March this species begins to lay on the Jumna and other rivers 

 in the north of India; but on the Indus they do not, says Mr. Hume, lay until the second week in April. 

 They nidificate on the churs or sand banks, and make no nest further than a small depression in the sand ; and 

 it would appear that occasionally they lay their eggs indiscriminately with those of other species, as Mr. Brooks 

 informed Jerdon of such an instance having occurred on a sand bank iu the Ganges. The nests are usually 

 pretty close together, and are vigorously defended by the parent birds. Respecting their boldness, Mr. Hume 

 writes : — " The vigorous manner in which these River-Terns attack and chase away Crows, Kites, and similar 

 would-be robbers from the immediate neighbourhood of their nests is very noticeable. To me they seemed to 



