CASPIAN TERN. 
75 
The adult bird in the breeding or summer plumage, has 
the top of the head and long occipital feathers, velvet black ; 
the nape, back, scapulars, and wing-coverts, delicate bluish- 
ash colour; the quills are brownish-sepia, tinged with ash 
colour ; all the under parts, from the chin to the under tail- 
coverts, are pure white ; the tail, the same as the back ; the 
beak is bright red ; the legs and feet, black ; the eyes are 
dusky. 
In winter the forehead and crown of the head are white ; 
the back part of the head black and white ; the rest of the 
plumage as in summer. 
The young birds have the upper plumage pale brown, 
tinged with grey, and varied with transverse bars and spots 
of black ; quills dusky ; the tips of the tail dusky. 
The egg figured 289 is that of the Caspian Tern. 
