894 
Birds of Celebes: Laridae. 
b. Sterna grisea (1) Horsf., Tr. L. Soc. 1821, XIII, 199. 
Hydrochelidon leucoptera (1) Boie, Isis 1822, 563; (Ilj Dresser, B. Europe Vni, 321, 
pis. 590, 591 (1875); (3) Saund., P. Z. S. 1876, 641; (4) David & Oust., Ois. 
Cliine 1877, 524; (5) Legge, B. Ceylon 1880, 1000; (6) Oates, B. Br. Burmah 
1883, n, 420; (7) Brd., Brew. & Ridgway, Water B. X. Am. 1884, H, 323; 
(8) Buller, B. X. Zeal. 2”a ed. 1888, D, 77; (9) Everett, J. Str. Br. R. A. S. 
1889, 210; (10) Saund., Cat. B. 1896, XXV, 6. 
c. Hydrochelidon nigra (1) Gray (nec Linn.), List Anseres Br. Mus. 1844, 180; (2) Wald., 
Tr. Z. S. 1872, VTH, 103; (3) Salvad., Cat. Ucc. Borneo 1874, 372; (4) id., Ann. 
Mus. Civ. Gen. 1877, IX, 63; (5) W. Bias. & Xehrk., Verb. z.-b. Ges. Wien 1882, 
432; (0) W. Bias., ib. 1883, 73; (7) Meyer, Isis, Dresden 1884, 6; (8) W. Bias., 
Ornis 1888, 634; (9) Vorderm., X. T. Xed. Ind. 1891, LI, 413; (10) Biittikofer, 
Zool. Ei'g. Weber’s Reise 1893, III, 285. 
d. Sterna nigra (1) Scbl., Mus. P.-B. , Sternae, 1863, 31. 
e. ? Hydrochelidon hybrida (1) Salvad. (nec Pall.), Orn. Pap. 1882, III, 566. 
/'. Hydrochelidon fissipes (Pall.); (1) Tacz., Eaun. Orn. Sib. Orient. 1893, n, 1015. 
For further synonymy and references of. Saunders 10. 
Figures and descriptions. Xaumann a 1I\ Dresser XT, and plates in other standard works 
on European birds; Legge 5\ Oates 6\ Buller S; Saunders 10', etc. 
Breeding plumage. Head, neck, mantle and under parts including under wing- 
coverts and axillaries black, deepest on bead and neck; back and scapulars 
blackish grey; lesser wing- coverts and metacarpal edge white, becoming pearl- 
grey on the other wing-coverts and outer webs of primaries'), and more 
slate-grey on the secondaries; shafts of quills white; rump, vent, upper and 
under tail-coverts and tail white. Wing 210 imn; tail 67; tarsus 18; middle toe 
and claw 23; exposed culmen 23 ad., Europe — Xr. 1315). 
“Iris dark brown; bill reddish black; inside of mouth yellowish red; legs and 
feet orange-red, claws black” (Legge 5). 
Sexes. Similar in coloration. 
Winter plumage. Differs from the summer dress in having the black of the bead, neck and 
under parts replaced by white, except on the occiput and nape, which are mottled 
with black, and there is a black spot in front of the eye. 
Changing plumage. Moulting specimens, with the bead, neck and under parts varied with 
black and white feathers, occm’ in early spring and autumn (Legge 5, Saunders 70). 
Young. “Posterior portion of the crow, a patch on the side of the head and one on the 
hind neck dark sooty grey, the feathers with lighter margins, the patch on the hind 
neck with brownish markings; rest of the head, neck and entire under parts pure 
white; back and scapulars blue-grey, broadly tipped with blackish grey; wings as in 
the adult in winter, but the wing-coverts tipped with light reddish brown, rump and 
upper tad-coverts white; tail light Erench grey, becoming darker towards the tip” 
(D resser II). 
Eggs. 3, rarely 4; short oval; shell delicate, smooth, without gloss; dark olive-yellow or pale 
olive; shell-spots and dots grey-brown, thickly distributed, superficially blotched, dotted 
and scratched with reddish black-brown, or black (Xaumann a 11). Size 34 X 25.5 mm. 
Nest. Eormed of bits of reed, rush, grass-stalks etc. in spots far out in marshes. 
Distribution. Central and Southern Europe in summer; Africa; temperate Asia eastward to 
E. Siberia (flj, south to Australia and Xew Zealand; once in Barbados; once in 
q As Mr. Saunilers (lOJ says, the pearl-grey, which has a frosted or velvety appearance on the pri- 
maries, soon wears off on the oviter quills, leaving the webs sooty black. 
