LOIilVANELLUS. 267 



lieavy rain in the summer, autumn, or early winter months. In North-western Australia Mr. 



Tom Carternoted adults, accompanied by miniature birds, in October, and a nest with chipped 

 eggs in May. 



c3-erL\is I.iOBI'^-A.nsrEIjIjTTS. StrkMawl. 

 Lobivanellus lobatus. 



SI'Ult-WINOED PLOVER. 

 Trivija lohatii. Lath., Inil, Oni. Suppl, Vol. II., p. Ixv. (ISdl). 



Lolnvanelluft loljafiis, GoM, lids. Austr., fol. Vol. VI., pi. 9 (1S48); id., Ilandbk. Bds. Austr., 

 Vol. II., p. 218 (18i;5) ; Sharpn, Cat. Hds. IJrit. Mus., Vol. XXIV., p. 139(1890); id., 

 Hand-1. Bds., Vol. I., p. 149 (1899). 



Adult .M.^LE. — (reifrid colour ahun', inr/inlin;/ llif centre of l/te rniiip, llgh/ brown washed irifh 

 oiire ; sides of tlie rntnp (Did upper lail-cocer/s pure w/iite ; tipper tviiig-coeerls like the buck, the 

 yreater series shaded 9vith grey / primaries and oulerinosl secondaries black, the latter grei/ish-bro>vn 

 at the base ; tlie central feathers pale greyislk-brown, one or tivo tippeil niith black aiid narrowly edged 

 again with tvliile : the long innermost secondaries like the back ; tail-feathers irlnle, crossed near the 

 end irith. a broad blaek bnini, decreasing in. iridlh on the lateral feathers ; cronn of the head and 

 e.clending in. a broad line down and. across the hind-neck, joining a large patch on t/ie sides of 

 the fore-neck, black ; base of forehead, lores, .sides of neck and all the under surface and under tail- 

 corerts piiri n-liite : bill yelbnv slinded n-illi green, brmrnish at tin' lip : legs purplish-red, the front of 

 tarsi and toes blackish ; wattles on the fore-part of head, and spur on the wing, yllow ; ins yellow. 

 Total leng'Ji in tlie flesh 14 Indies, wing V'5, tail JpJ, bill I'oO, tarsus o'l. 



Adult female. — Similar in plumage to the male. 



Distiihiitioii. — Queensland, New South Wales, \'ictoria. South .Australia, larger islands of 

 Bass Strait, Tasmania. 



/"I^HE Spur-winged Plover is widely distributed over the greater portions of Eastern 

 J_ Australia, except the extreme north, and is likewise found on the larger islands of Bass 

 Strait and Tasmania, where, however, in the latter island, it is much rarer than on the Australian 

 Continent. 



Although by no means numerous in the inland portions of the States, it chiefly frequents 

 the margins of swamps, brackish lagoons, and low-lying lands in the coastal districts. Except 

 in the breeding season, these birds are usually met with in small Hocks, feeding near the water's 

 edge, but not infrequently they may be found searching for insects on grass-lands some distance 

 from water. During the day, in the autumn and winter months, they may be often seen resting 

 on low islands in lagoons, or on flats, sheltered with tufts of rushes, at the mouths of rivers, or 

 bordering creeks. If too near an approach is made one will get up and i|uick-ly walk a few yards, 

 at the same time giving a shrill warning note. Instantly the whole flock is on the alert, and 

 usually before one can get within shooting range, they are on the wing. They are extremely shy 

 and wary, and can only be approached under cover, or by means of a horse or vehicle. They are 

 well called " Alarm lairds," for not only do they warn their companions with their shrilly uttered 

 " keerk, keerk, keerk," but every bird in the neighbourhood. .\t night it is particularly 

 vociferous, uttering its shrill notes more often during flight from one feeding ground to another. 

 These birds are, as a rule, extremely hard to kill, unless the shot should have penetrated some 

 vital part. At Essendon, Victoria, I fired at a single bird on the opposite side of a small swamp, 

 the result of recent rains, and disabled it ; before I secured it, however, it had run in the mean- 



