1846.] Notes on the Fauna of the Nicobar Islands. 373 



claws two inches and three eighths, the claws short and much curved. 

 Colour uniform dark slaty throughout ; some specimens having a white 

 line on the chin and throat. Adults have narrow lengthened plumes 

 on the back and breast, similar to those of Ardea cinerea : the occipital 

 plumes also are somewhat lengthened, as in Herons generally ; but I 

 have seen no defined occipital crest, and doubt its ever possessing one. 

 Beak mingled dusky and dull yellowish ; and the legs appear to have 

 been olive-green. 



Nycticorax griseus, (Lin.) : Ardea nycticorax, L. 



Strepsilas interpres, (Lin.) Common along the coasts of the Bay of 

 Bengal ; and the Society has received a specimen from the Mauritius. 

 One of the most universally distributed of birds. 



Totanus hypoleucos, (Lin.) Excessively numerous in the Bengal 

 Soonderbuns; and the Society has also received it from Chusan. Of 

 very general distribution throughout Europe and Asia. 



Thalasseus bengalensis, (Lesson). Nearly allied to Sterna velox and 

 St. affinis of Ruppell (nee St. affinis, Horsf.), to which it would seem 

 intermediate. St. cristata, Sw. (nee Stephens), is also closely allied, but 

 remarkable for its very pale colour. From the European Th. Boy sit, 

 (Pen.), which it also greatly resembles, this species differs in having the 

 bill wholly yellow, and the tail uniform grey with the back. Another 

 allied species, which was procured by the late Dr. Heifer in the Tenas- 

 serim Provinces, agrees with the description of Sterna poliocerca, Gould, 

 and is perhaps the St. cristata of Stephens. Th. bengalensis is not un- 

 common in the Bay of Bengal. 



Sterna (?) melanauchen, Tern. : figured in Gould's "Birds of Australia.' 

 This species breeds abundantly in the Nicobars. 



Another species common in the Bay, is the Melanosterna anasthcetus, 

 (Scopoli), v. Sterna panaya, Lath., St. in/uscata, Licht., and St. 

 antarctica, Lesson : and allied to this is a species which is perhaps 

 St. grisea of Horsfield, and which was obtained by Prof. Behn, of the 

 Danish expedition, as he was approaching the mouth of the Hoogly. 

 If new, I am enabled by the politeness of that naturalist to subjoin the 

 accompanying description of it.* Anous tenuirostris, (Tem.), is also a 



* Hydrochiledon grisea ( ? Horsfield) : n. s. f H. marginata, nobis. Resembles 

 H. nigra in winter plumage, except in being much larger, and in having the nape 

 (surrounding the black of the occiput) pure silky white, as are also the entire under- 



