316 



mento et capitis lateribus albis, gula et gutture cinereis, corpore reliquo subtus saturate cinereo, abdo- 

 mine saturate fumoso- cinereo : alis et cauda, subtus cum subcaudalibus albis : rostro saturate sanguineo : 

 iride fusca : pedibus pallidius sanguineis. 



Ad. ptil. Idem, corpore supra pallidiore : subtus ubique albo, fronte alba, pileo albo nigro notato, et nucha, cum 

 collo postico, nigro et albo immixtis. 



Juv. fronte alba, : pileo postico, nucha, et collo postico sordide nigricantibus albo notatis : corpore supra pallide 

 schistaceo-cinereo, nigro conspicue notato : corpore subtus albo : rostro rufescenti-fusco, ad basin 

 sanguineo : iride fusca : pedibus rufescenti-fuscis. 



Adult Male in summer (Seville, 10th June) . Crown and nape glossy black ; entire upper parts ashy grey, 

 rather darker than in the common Tern ; upper surface of the tail similarly coloured ; quills blackish 

 grey on the half of the inner web nearest to the shaft and towards the tip, the inner quills rather 

 lighter than the back on the outer web ; chin and sides of the head below the eye, including the lower 

 edge of the eyelid, white ; rest of the throat ashy grey, gradually darkening on the breast, and on the 

 abdomen becoming blackish grey ; under surface of the wings and tail and under tail-coverts white ; 

 bill blood-red ; iris dark brown ; legs blood-red, rather lighter than the bill. Total length about 

 10 inches, culmen 1*45, wing 92, tail 3'4, outer tail-feathers 0'7 longer than the central ones, 

 tarsus 0"9. 



Adult Female. Resembles the male, but appears, as a rule, to have the bill a trifle more slender. 



Adult in winter (Colombo, 15th December). Upper parts lighter than in the summer dress, the black hood 

 wanting ; forehead white ; crown white, marked with black, and the hind neck black and white inter- 

 mixed ; entire underparts pure white ; soft parts as in the summer plumage. 



Young (Valencia, 26th July) . Forehead and fore part of the crown white ; rest of the crown, nape, and 

 hind neck dull blackish, strongly marked with white ; upper parts as in the winter dress, but strongly 

 blotched with blackish, especially on the inner secondaries ; entire underparts pure white ; iris dark 

 brown ; bill reddish brown, at the base blood-red ; legs reddish brown. 



Young in down (S. France) . Differs from the young of H. nigra in being larger ; the upper parts are lighter 

 in colour, and more sandy yellowish in tinge, and the lower throat and abdomen are pure white. 



The range of this Tern is extensive ; for it is found throughout Southern Europe, in Africa as far 

 south at least as Damara Land, and in Asia it is found in India, and off the coasts of China, 

 throughout the Malayan region down to Australia. It has straggled as far north as Great 

 Britain, where, however, it is extremely rare. Yarrell, who first recorded it as a British species, 

 cites only one occurrence, at Lyme Regis, in Dorsetshire, in August 1836 ; one was, Mr. Gurney 

 states, obtained at Hickling Broad, in Norfolk, on the 17th June, 1847; Mr. Rodd records one 

 occurrence near Trescoe Abbey, Cornwall, in August 1851 ; and Mr. Gatcombe one near 

 Plymouth in May 1865. It has not been met with in Scotland; and Thompson cites only one 

 instance of its occurrence in Ireland, a specimen now in Mr. Warren's collection having been 

 obtained in Dublin Bay. 



It has not been met with in Norway, Sweden, or Finland ; nor does it occur in Northern 

 Russia or North Germany. Mr. A. Benzon writes to me stating that he can find no authentic 



