64 E. LÖNNBERG, CONTRTBUTIONS TO THE FAUNA OF SOUTH GEORGIA. 



My attention had been drawn by the very stout bill of Larus clominicanus compared 

 with that of L. fuscus, for instance. As I believed that this stood in connection with 

 some certain diet (probably molluscivorous) of the former gull, I asked Sörling, be- 

 fore he left, to make observations concerning this. And his observations verified my 

 snpposition as he found that the chief diet of these birds consists in Patellce, which 

 they picked when it was low tide. 



When the whaling had begnn they where regular guests at the factory where 

 they picked all kinds of refuse, seraps of blubber etc. When they wanted to take 

 snch things that had sunk in shallow water, they could not dive directly but made 

 first a jump in the air with half spread wings and then dived, but not deeper than 

 that the tips of the wings were visible above the surface. Sometimes they robbed 

 the Da/ptiorts which where more elever divers. On the carcasses they also had a 

 good time, but seemed to prefer the refuse at the factor3 r . 



Sterna vittata georgise Reichenow 1904. 



Syn.: Sterna virgata Pagenstecher 1885. 



» vittata georgim Reichenow 1904. 



J 1 $ Boiler Harbour, Cnmberland Bay, the 18th of Nov. 1904. »Iris dark brown almost black.;: 



9 in moult, the same locality, the 15th of April 1905. »Iris blackish brown». 



J 1 the same locality, the 22d of April 1905. 



5? jnv. Moraine Fjord, Cnmberland Bay, the 21 of Marcli 1905. »Iris dark brown almost black;>. 



j* jnv. Boiler Harbonr, Cumberland Bay, the 29 of Jnly 1905. »Iris brown». 



<j> (skeleton) the same locality the 15th of Sept. 1905. 



1 egg Cnmberland Bay, the 29th of Jan. 1905. 



As my friend Professor Reichenow recently had established a new subspecies 

 for the Tern of South Georgia I took the liberty of submitting some of the speci- 

 mens recorded above for his examination and for comparison with the type. On 

 this Reichenow kindly replied that the bird in summer plumage completely aggreed 

 with the type of his Sterna vittata georgim. 1 The birds shot in November are rather 

 dark silvery grey, almost as dark below as above. Forehead, lores, crown and nape 

 deep black (although there are a few white feathers mixed in on forehead and lores). 

 A broad white streak extends from gape to side of nape, contrasting as well with 

 the black above as the grey below. Secondaries tipped with white and white on the 

 inner web. Primaries more sooty, especially towards the tip, but more or less white 

 on the inner half of the inner web. The primaries have white shafts, and the outer 

 web of the longest is almost black. Upper tail-coverts white. Tail-feathers white on 

 the inner web, rather påle silvery grey on the outer. Belly paler than breast, under 

 tail-coverts white. Bill and feet red. 



Wing. 263—265; tail 140—143; depth of fork 62; eulmen 30; tarsus 17 mm. 



The birds shot in April are not yet in full winter-plumage as the quills are 

 not fully changed or fullgrown. They are paler all över, and may be termed light 



1 Ornith. Monatsber. Jahrg. XII N:o 3 März 1904. 



