Descriptive List of the Common Birds 
201. Hydroprogne caspia: The Caspian Tern. 
(F. 1498), (J. 982), (+1V) 
This is the largest of the terns. It is a 
white bird save for the fact that there is a good 
deal of black in the head. Its wings are pearl 
grey. Its bill is bright red. Its legs are black. 
Its tail is not very deeply forked. It goes about 
in pairs. It is local in its distribution. 
It is common at Madras, and is said to be 
particularly common in Sind. I have never 
seen it in the Punjab. Eha does not mention 
it as one of the birds of Bombay. 
202. Sterna angelica: 'The Gull-billed Tern. 
(F. 1499), (J. 983), (+ III, with a longish tail.) 
Printer’s devils are particularly spiteful to 
this bird. In The Common Birds of Bombay 
they have mutilated its name into “ gull- 
gilled.” In Bombay Ducks it appears as the 
“ pull-bird tern.” 
It is the least beautiful of the terns, being 
more heavily built than most of them. 
In winter it is a white bird with grey wings 
and some black in the head. In summer its 
head is jet black. The bill, legs, and feet are 
black. Its tail is not very deeply forked. 
It is found both inland and on the coast. 
203. Sterna seena: The Indian River Tern. 
213 
