322 STERNIN^. 



Hab. — The sea coasts of Sind, Beloocliisfcaiij Bengal, Bombay, 

 Madras aad Malabar Coast. A maritime species abundant in the Kur- 

 rachee harbour, mouths of the Indus, and the tidal creeks. 



Sterna caspia, Pall.; Naum. Vog. t. 248 ; Gould. B. Eur. y>\, 414<; 

 Tarr. Br. B. 2nd Ed. fig. p. 493 ; Sir. F. i. 280, iii. 347, ix. 439, 487; 

 Murray, Hdbk., Zool., ^c, Sind, p, 248. Sylochelidon caspius, Lath.; 

 Jerd.B. Ind. iii. p. 835, No. 982 — The Largest Tern. 



Summer Plumage. — Crown of the head, nape and back of the neck 

 and ear-coverts velvet black ; chin, throat, face, breast, the neck in 

 front and behind and entire under parts white ; mantle, wings and 

 tail pale blue grey or pearl grey ; the first five or six primaries 

 slaty grey, their shafts white ; under wing-coverts white. In winter 

 the head is white with a few dark feathers on the nape ; bill ver- 

 milion red, paler towards the tip ; irides brown ; legs and feet black. 



Length.— 18-0 to 20-0 inches, wing 16-0 to 17, tail 4-5 to 5-75, 

 bill at front 2-6 to 2-75, tarsus 1-5 to 1-75. 



Hah. — Sind, Beloochistan Coast, Persian Gulf, the Punjab, N. W. 

 Provinces and Oudh. Affects the sea coasts, larger rivers, jheels, 

 lakes and other inland pieces of water. Breeds in N. W. Ceylon, 

 where Mr. Parker (Str. F. ix. 487) found a colony breeding. 



Sterna bergii, Licht. ; Bupp. Atl. t. 1 3 ; Jerd. Str. F. i. 284 ; ii. 

 318; iv. 474; V. 301; Murray, Hdbk., Zool., Src, Sind, p. 249. 

 Thalasseus cristatus, Stephens; Jerd. B. Ind. iii. p. 842, No. 989. 

 Sterna velox. Bupp. Atl. t. 23. — The Laege Sea Teen. 



Forehead, lores, sides of the face, neck in front and behind, 

 chin, throat, breast, and all the lower parts white; crown of the head, 

 including the eye, crest and nape glossy black ; back, wings and tail 

 dusky grey ; inner webs of primaries next the shaft dark brown, the 

 margins white ; inner primaries unicolorous silvery or hoary grey, 

 margined with white ; secondaries white on their inner webs and tips ; 

 bill pale yellow ; irides dark brown ; legs and feet black. 



Length.— 17-0 to 18-5 inches, wing 14-0 to 14-6, bill at front 2-6 

 to 2-8. 



Hah. — Coasts of India generally to the Persian Gulf. Occurs 

 commonly in the Knrrachee harbour, along the Mekran Coast and 

 the Persian Gulf. Breeds in the Gulf of Oman, on the Island of 

 Astola, nearly opposite Jask, whence thousands of eggs have been 

 collected during May and June. The eggs are typically broad ovals, 

 strongly painted towards the small end, but considerably elongated. 

 Varieties are not uncommon.' The ground colour varies from white, 

 greenish and pinkish white to pale buff', pale yellowish, and again 

 pale pinkish stone colour to the richest and warmest salmon pink; 

 the markings are of two colours, an intensely deep burnt sienna 

 brown, often quite black in its intensity, and a pale inky purple, 

 which has an appeai-ance of lying beneath the surface of the shell. In 

 some eggs the inky purple markings are almost entirely wanting, in 



