420 
BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMA H. 
plumage^ wings and tail rather dark grey, the primaries with white shafts 
and darker tips. 
In winte?' the forehead, lores, face, sides of the neck and the whole lower 
plumage are pure white j the crown, nape and upper part of the hind neck 
white densely streaked with black ; a space round the eye blackish ; upper 
plumage, wings and tail as in summer. 
Iris brown ; bill red ; legs and toes dull red. 
Length 10 inches, tail 3 3, wing 9*2, tarsus '8, bill from gape 1"4, fork 
of tail -8. 
I found the Whiskered Tern abundant in the Sittang river and in the 
adjoining creeks from November to May. Mr. Davison observed it in 
the plains between the Salween and the Sittang rivers. Mr. Blyth records 
it from Arrakan ; and it will no doubt be found in all parts of the 
Province. 
It occurs throughout a considerable portion of Europe and Africa and 
nearly the whole o£ Asia, extending through the Malayan archipelago to 
Australia. It appears to be resident in many parts, migratory in others^ 
but it does not pass into the northern portions of Asia. 
This Tern visits Burmali in the winter months, staying in the Pro- 
vince till May. I observed it only in tidal waters ; but it is said to 
frequent sweet-water lakes and marshes. Large numbers are generally 
seen together flying backwards and forwards over the same piece of water 
for lengthened periods, and they probably feed on insects as well as on 
fish. 
759. HYDROCHELIDON LEUCOPTERA. 
THE WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN. 
Sterna leucoptera, Meisn. ^ Schinz, Vog. Schweiz, p. 2(34. Hydrochelidon nigra 
{Limt.), apud Sahud. Ucc. Born. p. 372. Hydrochelidon leucoptera, Dresser, 
Birds Eur. viii. p. 321, pi. ; Saunders, P. Z. S. 1876, p. iS'il; IJavid et Oust. Ois. 
Chine, p. 524 ; Hume, S. F. vii. p. 44-5, viii. p. 115 ; Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 1000; 
Ocdes, iS. F. X. p. 246. 
Description. — Summer plumage. Head^ neck^ back, scapulars,, inner- 
most secondaries, and entire nnderparts, excepting the under tail-coverts, 
deep black ; primary-quills blackish grey_j fading to greyish white on the 
outer portion of the inner webs, except on the terminal portion, shafts 
of the feathers white ; secondaries light French grey, rather darker on 
the inner web and the terminal portion ^ lesser wing-coverts and edge 
of the wing white ; larger coverts French grey ; tail, upper and under 
