10 
ALLEN S NATURALIST S LI URARY. 
Young. — Similar to the winter plumage of the adult, but 
browner, by reason of the brown tips to all the feathers of the 
upper surface ; a black patch on the hinder crown and nape as 
well as a black spot on the ear-coverts, the latter much 
more distinct. 
Characters. — In summer plumage the present species is easily 
distinguished from its British allies by its white upper tail- 
coverts and tail, its black under surface and under wing-coverts, 
and by the white wing-coverts along the carpal bend of the 
wing. In winter plumage the adult bird is still known by its 
white tail, but young birds have grey tails like the winter plum- 
age of the other species of Hydrochelidon. In a properly 
prepared skin, however, there is always some white on the 
rump, i 7 ttervening\><A\s^tx\ the grey of the back and the grey of 
the tail, in 11 . leiico/-tera. 
Range in Great Britain. — The White-winged Black Tern has 
occurred many times on our southern and eastern coasts in 
summer, and Mr. Howard Saunders states that he knows of 
only two occurrences of the bird in autumn, one having been 
killed near Ilfracombe in North Devonshire in November, 
while another was shot in Dublin Bay in October, 1841. Two 
others have been shot in Ireland in spring. 
Range outside the British Islands. — The present species nests in 
the marshes of Central and Southern Europe and throughout 
temperate Asia to China, wintering all over Africa, certain parts 
of India and Ceylon, and throughout the Malayan Archipelago 
to Auitralia and New Zealand. It occasionally wanders to 
America, where it has been recorded from Wisconsin and from 
Barbados. 
Habits. — These appear to be very similar to those of the 
Black Tern, in company with which it nests in Central Europe, 
but in Southern Russia Mr. Howard Saunders says that large 
and distinct colonies are formed. The flight is said by the 
same observer to be more rapid and its note to be harsher than 
that of //. ttigra, but its food is similar to that of the last- 
named species. 
Nest. — Similar to that of the Black Tern. 
