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Show 794 MR. H. SAUNDERS ON THE LARIDSE. [Nov. 20, 9. Reports on the Collections of Birds made during the Voyage of H.M.S. ' Challenger.'-No. V. On the Laridee collected during the Expedition. By H O W A RD SAUNDERS, F.L.S., F.Z.S. [Eeceived October 25, 1877.] At the request of Mr. Sclater, I have undertaken with much pleasure the determination of the Laridee collected during the expedition of H.M.S. ' Challenger,' amounting in all to 47 specimens. It was hardly to be expected that amongst these any previously undescribed species would be found ; but in consequence of the careful manner in which the specimens have been catalogued and labelled by Mr. John Murray, many of them are of great value in increasing our knowledge of the geographical distribution of the Oceauic birds. It is highly desirable that more attention should be devoted to this subject, instead of being limited, as is so often the case, to land birds only ; and of the results which would probably reward such attention we may judge from the present small collection, which contains examples of 9 species, represented by 31 specimens, of Terns (Ster-ninee), of 5 species, represented by 11 specimens, of Gulls (Larinee), and of 3 species, represented by 5 specimens, of Skua gulls (Sterco-rariince) ; total 17 species, 47 specimens. Of these species, five have been obtained in absolutely new localities (three of them from places where they could hardly be expected to occur), whilst many of the other species derive unusual interest from the fact of their range being restricted to such seldom-visited spots as the rocks and islands of the South Atlantic. On the whole this collection of Laridae, although small in numbers, is one of the most productive of knowledge which has yet been made by any of our national expeditions. 1. HYDROCHELIDON HYBRIDA (Pallas). Sterna hybrida, Pall. Zoog. Rosso-As. ii. p. 338 (1811). Hydrochelidon hybrida, Gray, Gen. B. iii. p. 660; Saunders, P.Z.S. 1876, p. 640. [No. 364. 2- Manila. January 1 lth-14th, 1875. Eyes black, feet dark red ; stomach had Crustacea.] A nearly adult specimen, the head being sliglitly streaked with black. 2. STERNA VIRGATA, Cab. Sterna virgata, Cabanis, J. f. Orn. 1875, p. 449 ; Saunders, P.Z.S. 1876, p. 646. [I specimen marked X on label. Christmas Harbour, Kerguelen Island. 1 specimen marked 0 on label. Ditto, ditto. 1 „ Ditto, ditto. 1 ,, Betsey Cove, ditto.] The first is nearly adult; but the black head is not yet fully |