100 SLENDER-BILLED GULL. 



entirely bright white ground colour. When fresh they 

 may have perhaps just a touch of greenish or yellowish, 

 and herein they resemble the bright eggs of Sterna 

 cantiana, though they differ remarkably in their coarser 

 shell and larger size. The markings of the dull eggs 

 are umber and black brown, with indistinct spots of 

 ash grey. Great diameter fifty to fifty-five millemetres, 

 small diameter thirty-seven to thirty-eight millemetres." 



It is not included by Count Miihle among his 

 Grecian birds. Lindermayer says it occurs there, on 

 the authority of Erhardt and Degland. It is not much 

 more common on the African side, or at least its 

 appearance is not often mentioned by naturalists on 

 that continent. This may happen in consequence of 

 the bird being confounded with other species. Captain 

 Loche includes it in his list of Algerian birds; and 

 my figure is taken from a bird obtained by Mr. Tristram 

 at Tunis, on the 13th. of January, 1858, and therefore 

 in its winter plumage. It is a female, and the following 

 is its description: — 



Head, nape, neck, tail, all the lower parts, lesser 

 wing coverts, and the greater part of the four first 

 primaries, white, with a rosy tinge; scapularies, greater 

 wing coverts, secondaries, and greater part of primaries 

 (after the first four) light lead-colour; outer web of 

 first, inner border of the first four, and end of the 

 fifth and sixth primaries black. Mr. Tristram's label 

 says, "Irides white, with a pale sulphur ring; tarsi 

 reddish orange; beak dark carmine; lower plumage 

 rich rose." And in a private note to me he farther 

 adds, "Observe the rich rosy tint in i, tenuirostris. 

 It is very much faded, but was a brilliant salmon- 

 colour, and the beak and legs brilliant." 



According to Degland, individuals before the age of 



