CHARADRIID^:. 549 



THE LESSER GOLDEN PLOVER. 

 Charadrius domInicus, p. L. S. Miiller. 



There are two slightly different forms of this species, one of which 

 is found in the eastern part of Asia while the other inhabits North 

 America; and inasmuch as individuals referred to both of these 

 have been obtained in the British Islands, the above trivial name 

 has been adopted as being the least misleading. An example of 

 the Asiatic race was found in Leadenhall Market among a lot of 

 Golden Plovers in December 1874, and was said to have come 

 from Norfolk ; but this alone, however probable, did not suffice to 

 procure the admission of the species to the British list. In the 

 autumn of 1882 Mr. J. H. Gurney found a bird of the American 

 form in the same market ; and Mr. J. G. Millais has recorded (Zool. 

 1886, p. 26) the occurrence of a second American specimen in 

 Perthshire, on August 3rd 1883. In 'The Field' of December 

 loth 1887 Mr. Millais stated that on November 26th he received 

 from Stennis in Orkney, in the flesh, one of the Asiatic race. 

 Lastly, an example of the American form was obtained near Bel- 

 mullet, CO. Mayo, on September 13th 1894. 



A bird ascribed to the American race was obtained on Heligo- 

 land in December 1847 by Gatke. Of the Asiatic form the 

 collection of that distinguished ornithologist contains no fewer than 

 three examples, all captured in summer ; while two have been taken 

 in Malta, two (recently) on the mainland of Italy, one (in the posses- 

 sion of the late Lord Lilford) at Malaga in Spain, and one at Lublin 

 in Poland. This race breeds on the tundras up to lat. 74° N. from 

 the Yenesei to Bering Sea, and as far south as the plains of 

 Mongoha, migrating in winter to China, Japan, India, the Malay 

 region, Australia, New Zealand and Polynesia; it also visits the 

 Prybilof Islands and the coast of Alaska, while, as might be 

 expected, gradations are found in the Pacific which lead insensibly 

 to the American form. This was first described and named 

 C. domiiiicus, by P. L. S. Miiller in 1776, from a specimen obtained 

 on San Domingo. As a rule, it is characterized— especially in 

 Eastern America— by its larger average size, relatively shorter 

 inner secondaries, and less brilliant yellow tint. It has occurred at 

 Olga Bay, Siberia, and it nests on the Barren grounds from Alaska 



