STEENA. 321 



Gen. Sterna. — Lin. 



Characters the same as Gelochelidon. Front toes united by indented 

 web ; hind toe short. 



Sterna cantiaca, (?«». ; Yarr.Br. B. 2nd Ed. iii. fig. p. 497; 

 Gould. B. Eur. pi. 415 ; Str. F. i. 285 ; Murray, Hdhk., ZooL, *c., Sind, 

 p. 248c. 



Summer Plumage. — Forehead, crown, back of the neck and nape, 

 occipital crest and ear-coverts glossy black ; sides of the face, 

 chin, throat, neck in front and behind, breast and entire lower 

 parts white, tinged with rosy ; mantle and wings pale silvery grey ; 

 the first primary is slightly darker than the rest, with more than 

 half of the inner webs near the shaft white ; the next two or three 

 paler, also the succeeding ones, till they shade away into the colour of 

 the wing-coverts ; their inner webs greyish white or white ; under 

 wing-coverts white ; tail forked, white, the external feathers on each 

 side slightly greyish on their outer webs ; upper tail-coverts white. 



In winter plumage the whole of the head is white or mottled with 

 white and black, and there is a crescentic narrow black spot in front of 

 the eye ; mantle and wings as in the summer plumage. Legs and feet 

 black, also the bill, which is tipped on both mandibles with horny 

 yellow, or yellowish white ; irides brown. 



Length. — 17-5 to 18-0 inches, wing ll'o to 12*5, tail 6 to 6'2, bill 

 at front 2'0 to 2-4, wing reaches about one inch beyond the tip of the 

 tail. The females are smaller, with a much shorter tail and no rosy 

 tinge. 



Hab. — Sind, Beloochistan(Mekran Coast) Persia and Egypt. Its other 

 habitats are in various parts of Europe. Affects the sea coast of Sind 

 and Beloochistan, congregating in large flocks on sand banks or rocks 

 in the Kurrachee harbour. 



Sterna media) Eorsf. ; Gould. B. Asia, pi. 25. Sterna bengalensis, 

 Lf'.ssonj Jerd. B. Ind. iii. p. 842, No. 990; Str. F. i. 284 ; ii. 318 ; iv. 

 474; V. 301; Murray, Hdbk, Zuol.,Src., Sind, Tp.24Sc.—Tii:B Smaller 

 Sea Teen. 



Simmer Plumage. — Forehead, crown, nape and back of the neck and 

 occipital crest glossy black ; lores, face, sides of the neck, breast and 

 entire lower parts white; mantle and wings light silvery or satin grey, 

 paler on the tail; the outer web of the external feathers greyish white; 

 primaries dusky grey, the inner webs margined with white, and the 

 portion next the shaft dusky; wings extend two inches beyond the 

 end of the tail; inner webs of secondaries white ; bill yellow; iridea 

 deep brown ; legs and feet black. 



Length.— Ib'b to 16-5 inches, wing 12-2 to 12-26, tail 6 to 6-7, 

 bill at front 2-5, tarsus 1-0 to 1-2. 



In winter plumage the entire forehead and lores are pure white, 

 the crown white, the feathers centred dusky; occiput dusky, the feathers 

 slightly margined with white; a spot in front of the eye and a line 

 behind it black. 

 41 z 



