320 



STERNIN^. 



three primary quills agree well with the plate in P. Z. S. 1878, p. 201, 

 Saunders on the Larinm. 



Hob.— Sind, in the Kurrachee harbour, and on the inland lakes ; the 

 Mekran Coast, Persian Gulf, rivers of the Punjab and Bengal, at Bom- 

 bay, also the Mediterranean Coast to Egypt, Asia Minor, the Red Sea 

 and Arabian Coast. 



Sub-Family, STERNIN^.— 5p. 



Bill long or moderate, entire, straight, compressed and pointed; the 

 lower mandible angled; nostrils longitudinal; wing long and pointed; 

 tail short and even, or long and forked; tarsus short and slender; 

 toes short, webbed. 



The common residence of this Family is the sea shore, mouths or 

 banks of large rivers and lakes. They are always in large flocks, and 

 especially so in the breeding season. 



They continue long on the wing, and are quick in all their evolu- 

 tions, darting upon their finny prey, rising in the air, or gliding along 

 near the surface of the water. They are commonly divided as Marsh, 

 River, Sea, and Oceanic Terns, according to their habits and struc- 

 ture. 



Gen. Gelochelidon.— Liw. 



Nostrils with plumes reaching the opening; first quill of wing 

 longest; tail forked; tarsus rather long; bill moderate; culmen slightly 

 curved and with a projecting gony or angle. 



Gelochelidon nilotica, Ilasselq.; Naum. Vog. t. 249 ; Yarr. Br. 

 B. 2 Ed. lii. fig. 0, 515; Gonld. B. Eur. pi. 416. Gelochelidon 

 anglicus, Mont. Jerd. B. Ind. iii. p. 836, No. 983 ; Str. F. i. 281 ; 

 Murray, Hdhk., Zool., Sfc, Sind, p. 248. — The Gull-billed Teen. 



In summer, forehead, lores, head on the crown, nape and back of 

 the neck silky or deep black; sides of the face, chin, throat, breast 

 and under parts white; mantle, wings and tail light grey, wings 

 reach about two inches beyond the tail ; the first primary is rather 

 a hoary grey, the rest light grey, their tips and inner webs next the 

 shaft dusky brown, the margins for their basal two-thirds greyish 

 white; shafts white; secondaries and tertiaries light grey; under 

 wing-coverts white ; tail light grey, the feathers white shafted ; bill, 

 legs and feet black, the latter with sometimes a reddish tinge; iridea 

 dark brown. 



Length. — 14*5 to 16'2 inches, wing 13 to 14'0 inches, reaching 

 the tail by from 20 to 2*7 inches, bill at front 1'5 to ]'7, tarsus 15. 



In winter, the black head is replaced by a white grey streaked head, 

 and a few dusky spots behind and round the eye. 



Hab. — Sind, Beloochistan, Persia, Bengal, Rajputana, Kutch, the 

 Concans and Deccan. Affects the large inland pieces of water ; especial- 

 ly numerous on the Munchur Lake in Sind, and the salt water creeka 

 in the deltaic districts. Arrives about the middle of September and 

 leaves about the third week in May. 



