STEENA ANGLICA. 



(THE GULL-BILLED TERN.) 



Sterna anglica, Montagu, Orn. Diet. Suppl. (1813) ; Saunders, P. Z. S. 1876, p. 644; Dresser, 



B. of Eur. pts. 61, 62 (1877); Von Heuglin, Orn. N.Ost-Afr. ii. p. 1425 (1873); 



Hume, Str. Feath. 1879, p. 115 (List Ind. B.). 

 Sterna aranea, Wilson, Am. Orn. viii. p. 143 (1814). 

 Sterna affinis, Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. 1821, xiii. p. 199. 

 Gelochelidon anglica (Mont.), Kelaart, Prodromus, Cat. p. 137 (1852) ; Layard, Ann. & Mag. 



Nat. Hist. 1854, xiv. p. 270 ; Jerdon, B. of Ind. iii. p. 836 (1864) ; Holdsw. P. Z. S. 



1872, p. 480 ; Legge, Ibis, 1874, p. 33, et 1875, p. 407 ; Salvadori, Uccelli di Born. 



p. 371 (1874) ; Hume, Str. Feath. 1878 (B. of Tenass.), p. 491. 

 Gelochelidon macrotarsa, Gould, B. of Austr. Suppl. pi. 81 (1869). 

 Sterna nilotica, Hasselq. a/pud Hume, Nests and Eggs, iii. p. 648 (1875). 

 Lach-Zeezwaluw, Dutch. Kadal kuruvi, Ceylonese Tamils, also Pullu (Layard) ; Simbangan, 



Borneo (Mottley). 

 Liniya, Sinhalese. 



Adult male (Ceylon). Length 14-6 to 15-5 inches ; wing 12-5 to 13-0, reaching 2-0 beyond tail ; tail 4-7 to 5-8 (attain- 

 ing its greatest length in the breeding-season) ; tarsus 1-3 to 1-4 ; middle toe and claw 1-2 to 1-3 ; bill to gape 

 2-0 to 2-15, at front 1-5 to 1-6. 



Female (Ceylon). Length 14-3 to 15-0 inches ; wing 12-0 to 12-4 ; tarsus 1-3 ; bill to gape 2-0 to 2-1, at front 1-4 

 to 1-5. 



The bill is short and high at the base in this species, with the gonys much pronounced. 



Breeding -plumage (Ceylon, March). Iris hazel-brown ; bill black, with a reddish tinge, the gape and inside of mouth 

 pale red ; the base of the lower mandible reddish occasionally ; legs and feet black, with a slight tinge of reddish. 



Forehead, including the upper half of lores, head, and nape, with a nuchal crest lg inch long, glossy black ; lower 

 part of the lores in a line with the nostril, face, sides of neck, and all beneath, including the under wing, axillaries, 

 and under tail-coverts, pure white ; back and wings pale blue-grey, fading into silvery greyish on the tail ; quills 

 silvery grey, terminal margins of inner webs dark grey, and the bases white ; primary-shafts white. After a while, 

 as in other species, the primaries lose the " frosting " and become dark grey. In one specimen some of the head- 

 feathers are black, with white edges, which, in course of time, probably would turn black, proving that in this 

 case a moult and change of colour are combined in producing the black head. This plumage is assumed in March 

 in Ceylon. 



Winter plumage (Ceylon). Bill pure black, the gape not red ; legs and feet pure black. 



Forehead and front of crown white, becoming gradually dusky bluish grey on the occiput and nape, on which latter 

 the shafts are also dusky ; a black spot in front of eye, in general passing round it, and spreading over the ear- 

 coverts as a blackish patch ; lores and front part of cheek striated with black. The extent of black on the auri- 

 cular region is variable. 



Nestling in down. " Head greyish white on the hind crown, and nape marked with a few small grey spots ; a larger 

 spot on the ear and a mark carried from the end of the gape under the cheek, both blackish grey ; upper parts light 

 grey, darker in shade than the nape and hind crown, marked with blackish-grey spots, which run into stripes, of 

 which the four central ones are the most clearly denned ; chin, throat, and underparts pure white, except the fore 

 part of the neck, which is greyish white ; bill short, pale reddish at the base, greyish in the middle, and white at 

 the tip ; iris brownish grey ; feet dull reddish white." (Dresser, fide Naumana). 



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