76 



THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 



The Crested Tern. 



Sterna bergii. 

 Eed Sea, African and Indian Oceans to China, Pacific Islands and 

 Australia. 



Broad white band at base of bill, mantle and tail dark grey; crown 



and nape black, forming a crest, neck white; underparts white; tarsi and 



toes black with reddish tinge, soles mottled with yellow. In the 



moulting season the crown is mottled with white. Total length 20 to 



21 inches, culmen 2.5, wing 14.25, tail 7.5, depth of fork 3.5, tarsus 1.3. 



Crested Terns: Sterna hergii. 



A. F. Basset Kull. 



Nests in companies; a slight depression is made, either on 

 sandy ground or on broken coral ridges, &c. The one egg 

 varies much in colour, far more so than probahly in any other 

 bird, and it is difficult to describe the various tints. Ground 

 colour either cream, buff, reddish, light-green, yellow, light-blue 

 or pink ; the markings are usually dark-brown of varying shades 

 and bold, and vary much in size and shape, sometimes having 

 blotches, smudges or hieroglj^phie-like lines over the surface; 

 the under markings are purple. The eggs measure about 2.40 x 

 1.61 inch. 



