BASS STRAIT TERN. 
Thalasseus hergii edwardsi, subsp. n. ; Ceylon. 
Agrees with the last-named in coloration, but is much smaller than Th. h. velox 
Cretzschmar. 
Thalasseus hergii pelecanoides (King) ; North Australia. 
Has about the same measurements as Th. h. velox Cretzschmar, or rather s mailer 
than Th. h. hergii Lichtenstein than which it is darker, but lighter than 
Th. h. velox. 
Thalasseus hergii 'poliocercus (Gould) ; South East Australia. 
Noticeably smaller than Th. h. pelecanoides King, and of the same pallid color- 
ation, but slightly darker than that form ; Sterna novoe-hollandice Pucheran 
and Pelecanopus nigripennis Bonaparte are s3monyms of this form. 
Thalasseus hergii gwendolenm (Mathews) ; South-west Australia. 
Larger than Th. h. pelecanoides King, and lighter in coloration. 
Thalasseus hergii cristatus (Stephens) ; China. 
A very small form, as small as Th. h. poliocercus Gould, but very dark in 
comparison, almost as dark as Th. h. edwardsi, the Ceylon form, but smaller. 
Th. h. horeotis Bangs may be quoted as a synonym, but the Liu Kiu form 
may be separable from the mainland one. At the present time the Philippine 
birds are attached, but there must be much doubt in such action. 
Thalasseus hergii rectirostris (Peale) ; Fiji Islands. 
Agreeing with Th. h. pelecanoides in size, but noticeably paler; the paleness is 
more marked in the juvenile- and winter-plumage ; the bill is much shorter 
than in Th. h. pelecanoides when fully grown adults are compared. It 
should be noted that the bills of all Terns grow with age, and that birds 
in the first year’s adult-plumage have short bills when contrasted with 
those of older birds. 
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