BLACK-BILLED TERN 63 
visit from the Straits Islands where they breed, it 
is, of course, rather to be expected that the greater 
number would preserve a direct course and go on 
till checked hy the land at the extremity of Hobson's 
Bay ; of course the same might be said of Bass Straits 
Tern, but then that is an infinitely more plentiful 
species even where they both breed, and certainly in 
all parts of Port Phillip. The habits of the Black- 
billed Tern are similar to those of the Bass Straits 
Tern. 
LITTLE TERN 
Sternula nereis nereis 
It was not until quite recent years that I found that 
the flocks of Marsh Terns which come to Lake Conne- 
warre in the summer are usually accompanied by a 
few Little Terns, the reason for the lateness of the 
discovery on my part being that a superficial likeness 
between the two species had led me to overlook the 
real difference. 
On December 27th, 191 1, I identified the species 
clearly for the first time. On that day Mr. Riordan 
and I saw one flying close past us, on the " Hospital 
Lake," at a point about a mile west of the Bald Hill 
and quite close to the Barwon Heads (Lake) Road. 
A Marsh Tern happened to fly by at the same time, 
and to note the points of difference was easy, the 
pure white under surface of this species and its jet 
black cap and smaller size contrasting sharply with 
