Order LARIF0RME8 Family LARIDM. 
No. 138. 
STERNULA NEREIS NEREIS. 
EASTERN WHITE-FACED TERNLET. 
(Plate 112.)* 
Steenula nereis Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. (Lond.) 1842, p. 140, 1843 ; Bass Strait. 
Sternula nereis Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. (Lond.) 1842, p. 140, 1843 ; id., Birds Austr., Vol. 
VII., pi. 29, 1848 ; id., Handb. Birds Austr., Vol. II., p. 402, 1865 ; Ramsay, 
Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., Vol. II., p. 201, 1877 ; id.. Tab. List Austr. Birds, p. 23, 
1888 ; North, Austr. Mus. Cat., No. 12, pp. 358-404, 1889. 
Sterna nereis Gray, Genera Birds, Vol. III., p. 659, 1846 ; Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. 
Mus., Vol. XXV., p. 112, 1896 ; Hall, Key Birds Austr., p. 89, 1899 ; Campbell, 
Nests and Eggs Austr. Birds, p. 847, 1901 ; Hall, Viet. Nat., Vol. XVIII., p. 24, 1901 ; 
id.. Key Birds Austr., p. 89, 1906 ; Mathews, Handl. Birds Austral., p. 21, 1908 ; 
Hall, Emu, Vol. IX., p. 132, 1910 ; Littler, Handb. Birds Tasm., p. 151, 1910. 
Sterna nereis nereis Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 209, 1912. 
Distribution. Tasmania ; Victoria ; South Austraha. 
Adult male. Similar to S. nereis horni, but the upper coloration darker, the black mantle 
advancing more on the forehead, where consequently the white space is lessened. 
Culmen (exp.) 33 mm., wing 185, tail 90, tarsus 18. 
Adult female. Similar. Tail pure white in breeding-plumage. 
Immature. Does not appear to have been described. 
Nestling. Covered with white, black and buff dovui on the upper surface, with irregular, 
zigzag short hues and spots, especially on the head and sides of the face, the dark 
pattern less defined on the body where the down is longer ; under-surface pure 
white. ^ ^ 
Nest. A depression in the sand: \ 
Eggs. Clutch, two ; ground-colour pale stone, spotted with dark brown, chestnut, and 
lavender ; axis 34-37 mm., diameter 25-26. 
Breeding-season. November (Atkinson ; Walker Island, Bass Strait), December 
(TregaUas and Howe), February (Howe, Mud Island). 
* The Plate is lettered Sterna nereis. 
