61 



I put the lesser Tern (S. Minuta ) as doubtful. The 

 bird in question however, is plentiful about Colombo, arriv- 

 ing after the other species and remaining behind some three 

 weeks later into the summer. All individuals that I have 

 shot, have the bill entirely black and the legs and feet dark, 

 reddish brown. It agrees in measurements with S. minuta 

 which however (according to Jerdon) has the legs orange and 

 the bill yellow. 



The lesser Sea Tern (Th. Bengalensis) is perhaps more 

 numerous than the Marsh Tern. It hunts singly or in pairs 

 over the Slave Island Lake, and congregates in company with 

 the latter bird in great numbers on the rocks off the Fort. 



It is a splendid fisher and a bird of very powerful flight ; 

 I have watched it hundreds of times pouncing on the silver 

 fish in the Lake, and never yet saw it rise without a prize 

 in its bill. It frequently drops a fish when jerking the head 

 in the direction of its throat, but seems to have no difficulty 

 in recovering it again with a rapid swoop before it has proceed- 

 ed far on its downward course. I think that as a rule it does not 

 reach the size of 16 inches given in Jerdon, its dimensions 

 generally corresponding more with those which this author gives 

 for S. affinis. vol. III. page 843. 



I have shot adult birds measuring 14| inches, and have 

 procured no specimen of more than 15 inches in length. The 

 bill appears to vary with age ; immature birds, which are as 

 numerous in this district as adults, have it two inches at front. 



The white-winged black Tern (kterna leucoptera) which, as 

 far as I can ascertain, has not yet been recorded from India, has 

 been shot at Aripo. This specimen is now in the possession of 

 Mr. Holdsworth, who procured it, three or four years ago, at 

 the above-mentioned place. 



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