352 ST£BNID^. 



breeds in colonies, making a slight nest of- grasses or sea-weeds, 

 placed upon the ledges of rocks, at other times upon the bare 

 headlands or low sandy beaches. Phillip and French Islands in 

 Western Port Bay are favourite breeding localities of this species, 

 also King Island in Bass's Straits. The eggs, usually three in 

 number for a sitting vary considerably in the colour and disposition 

 of their markings. A set taken on the ^7th November 1882, at 

 Phillip Island, have a pale green ground colour heavily blotched 

 with dark umber-brown markings, some of a lighter shade 

 appearing as if beneath the surface -of the shell. Length (A) 

 2-15 X 1-49 inches ; (B) 2-15 x 1-5 inches ; (C) 2-2 x 1-47 inches. 



A set taken by the late Mr. S. W. White, of the Reed Beds, 

 near Adelaide, in 1878, are of a light olive-brown streaked and 

 blotched with different shades of umber-brown, in three specimens 

 the markings are scattered all over the surface of the shell, in the 

 others they are confined to the larger end where they form ill-defined 

 zones. Length (A) 2-18 x 1-57 inches : (B) 2-15 x 1:5 inches ; (C) 

 2-1 X 1-55 inches ; (D) 2-09 x 1-55 inches. 



The breeding season is during the months of October, November 

 and December. 



Hah. Port Denison, Wide Bay District, Richmond and Clarence 

 Rivers Districts, New South Wales, occasionally on the rivers and 

 swamps of the Interior, Victoria and South Australia, and 

 Tasmania. (Ramsay.) 



Family STERNID^. 



Genus SYLOCIIELIDON, BreJm. 



SYLOCHELIDON CASPIA, Pall. 

 Caspian Tern. 

 GmM, Eandbh. Bds. AusL, Vol. ii., sp. 600, p. 392. ZXZT 3 



This bird ranges over the greater portion of the Australian 

 Coast, the islands of Bass's Straits and Tasmania. It deposits 



