s i ME1AN0GASTER. Tim m ,
STERNA MELANOGASTER, Temm.
Black-bellied Tern.
Sterna melanog aster, Temm. PI. Col. 434.—Burg, in Proc. Zool. Soc., p a r t xxiii. (1855) p. 184.
—-—— acuticauda, Hardw. and Gray, 111. Ind. Zool., pi. 70. fig. 3.
Hydrochelidon melanog aster, Gray, Gen. o f Birds, vol. iii. p. 660, Hydrochelidon, sp. 7.—Bonap. Compt. Rend, de
1’Acacl. Sci., tom. xli.
Sternajavanica, B lyth, Cat. o f Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p. 293.—Jerd. Birds o f India, vol. ii. p a rt ii. p. 840.
T his very elegant Tern is so generally distributed over the Indian peninsula that it seems superfluous to
particularize the localities in which it has been observed by those who have paid attention to the ornithology
of that country; but I may mention that Capt. Irby found it numerous in Oude and Kumaon, that the late
Hon. F. J . Shore met with it a t Lukurghat (where he states that the boatmen call it chelooree) , that Capt.
Burgess saw it in abundance on the sandbanks of the river a t Sukkur about the middle of March, and also
found it common on the river Bheena. Like other species of the genus, it occasionally ascends the rivers
for a considerable distance from the sea, particularly those that are subject to inundations, and where sane’/
and shingly banks are the natural consequence.
“ While walking on a sandbank in the midst of the river Bheena,” says Captain Burgess, “ I was beset by
a pair of these Terns, and, on looking about on the ground, found two eggs deposited in a slight hollow
scraped in the moist sand not far from the edge o f the water. These birds, when flying overhead, utter a
cry very like the chirp of a Sparrow. They breed during the months o f March and April, laying two eggs
o f a rich stone-colour, spotted chiefly round the centre, and more sparingly over the larger end, with grey
and light-brown spots, and measure one inch and rather more than two-tenths in length by one inch
in width.”
Mr. Jerdon states that “ it is seen hunting singly or in small scattered parties over every river in India, and
th at it breeds on the sandbanks o f the rivers in all parts of the country, and usually lays three eggs.”
Some authors have considered this species to be identical with the Sterna javanica of H orsfield; but it only
requires a careful reading of Horsfield’s description, in the thirteenth volume of the ‘ Transactions ’ of the
Linnean Society, to ascertain that this is a fallacy. Others, again, have associated it with the Marsh-Terns,
and assigned it a place in the genus Hydrochelidon: this also is an e rro r ; for its delicate feet, as well as several
other parts of its structure, indicate that it is a true Sterna, of which genus, beautiful as are most of its
members, there is not one more graceful in contour, or more striking in appearance. As far as T am aware,
it is the only species having a black belly—a feature which offers so strong a contrast to the delicate hue of
the other parts of the plumage that it must render the bird a most conspicuous object during flight. I
believe this mark is common to both sexes, and hence the name of melanogaster applied to it by Temminck
is singularly appropriate.
Crown o f the head and nape deep black; all the upper surface, wings, and tail light g re y ; shafts of the
primaries and tail white; line at the base o f the upper mandible, chin, and throat white; breast pearly white,
gradually blending with the black of the abdomen and under tail-coverts ; bill orange; irides brown; legs
and feet vermilion.
“ In winter,” says Mr. Jerdon, “ the head is white mixed with dusky, and the abdomen is pearly grey instead
of black.”
The Plate represents the bird of the natural size, in the plumage of summer.