148 BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 



sions in mm. :— Length, 490; bill, 67; wing, 345; tail, 182; 

 tarsus, 27. The dimensions of individual birds vary considerably. 



Female (breeding plumage). — Similar to male. 



Male and Female [winter plumage). — Crown mottled with 

 white ; otherwise practically similar to summer plumage. 



Young. — " Forehead and lores dull white, closely streaked with 

 brownish-blacli ; crown and nape more boldly streaked with black ; 

 mantle mottled with black and buffish-white; primaries chiefly 

 dark brownish-grey, the shafts brown; tail feathers dark grey, 

 tipped with white ; under parts chiefly white ; the neck and throat 

 streaked with brown; bill olivaceous-yellow " (B. M. Cat.) 



Nest. — A shallow depression is made in the sand or shingle 

 among the pig-face or short herbage. Fairly large colonies are to 

 be found on the small islands to the south of Tasmania. The nest 

 on Little Acteon is in a slight depression among the shingle, over- 

 grown with herbage, just above high water mark, a few herbs 

 and strips of seaweed being the only lining in the bottom. 



Eggs. — Clutch two ; oval, with one end somewhat pointed ; 

 texture coarse, and faintly glossed; ground colour usually stone- 

 grey, irregularly streaked, spotted, or blotched with dark sepia or 

 black, sometimes chestnut-brown and purplish-brown. Dimen- 

 sions in mm. of a clutch :— (1) 61 x 43, (2) 62 x 42. 



Breeding Season. — November principally. 



Geographical Distribution. — Seas of Tasmania and Australia ; 

 also the greater part of the Western Pacific Ocean, up to Japan, 

 Indian Ocean, Arabian and Bed Seas, and the east and west coasts 

 of South Africa. 



Observations. — Discussion has arisen at various times as to 

 whether the Crested Tern found in Australian waters is distinct 

 from the bird found in the Indian Ocean and elsewhere. Gould 

 made two species of them, but Mr. Howard Saunders, the eminent 

 authority on sea-birds, recognizes but one species. 



Although the Crested or Bass Strait Tern is to be observed in 

 some numbers round the northern coast of Tasmania, yet it is 

 not nearly as plentiful as round the southern coast, where it 

 nests in fairly large colonies on some of the small islands, notably 

 the Acteons. 



On several occasions, especially during rough weather, I have 

 seen this species fishing in company with Gannets in sheltered 

 bays on the NortJi-Eastern Coast of Tasmania. Occasionally a few 

 may be seen about the mouth of the Tamar, but not as frequently 

 as the Caspian Tern. 



*WHITE-FKONTED TERN (Southern Tern) 



{Sterna frontalis, Gray). 



Male and Female [breeding plumage). — Lower forehead and 



lores white ; crown of the head and nape black ; upper surface 



very pale grey; under surface white, flushed with a dehcate pink 



