smaller sooty tern. 
31 
species is easily recognised from all the 
Terns, except S. fu/iginosn, by it.s white forehead 
ill' L streak across the lores. The upper surface is sooty- 
ack, including the rump, and the mantle is lighter, umber- 
rown or ashy-grey, contrasting with the black head. So 
1 erent in style of plumage are the Sooty Terns th.it they have 
leen placed by many authors in a sejiarate genus — Haliplana — 
and the uniform sooty colour of the young bird, only relieved 
y white or rufous tips to the feathers, is quite peculiar among 
AT Notwithstanding these differences, however, 
mr. baunders has come to the conclusion that the Sooty Terns 
cannot be separated structurally and generically from Sterna. 
Britain.— The present species has occurred in 
^ °c occasion, when a specimen was captured 
tL Thames'-' ‘’'c “o^th of 
which is c'''^dence of the occurrence of this example, 
!o be fairlv con", ^^Iward Bidwell, appear; 
himself inf ‘'‘s is admitted by Mr. Saunders, who has 
himself inv estigated the circumstances. 
tion nllr.fr'' British Islands. — The following is the distribu- 
of Rlids” . species by Mr. Saunders in the “Catalogue 
Mexico n «nd juxta-tropical seas — Gulf of 
Africa Indies; West Africa, Lower Red Sea, East 
Renerallv ■ Mascarene Islands and Indian Ocean 
Netv Guinci Sea up to Japan, Pelew Islands, 
.he FljiTongn, Ellice, end 
the representniivo I^^'niids and the Sandwich Islands 
presentat.ve species appears to be .S'. lunataP 
Tern- in many^ re^pecu""uu^P 
matin’s Ahrolhos in We’stern P' c ’'omarks that on Hoiit- 
and that the species differerPr'^"^ ''^’ ^’’oofling, 
instead of being greearionP^" “ inasmuch as, 
single egg is deposited : P'"''' I'emams solitary, and its 
water’s edge withom n fissure of a rock close to the 
ge witiiout any nest or flooring.” 
Nest. — None tlip * 1 
the loose friable comf deposited in the holes of 
nict with the snecicc ^‘=‘=o‘-‘I'ng to Macgillivray, who 
species on the islands of Torres Strails. 
