276 Dr. P. L. Sclater o?i the American Kill-deer Plover. 



additional species being occasionally to be met with within the 

 limited sphere of observation of the resident Englishman is 

 always agreeable, and I have no hesitation in deciding that all 

 such instances, whether founded on very clear and decisive evi- 

 dence or not, are well worthy of record in ' The Ibis,^ as a guide 

 to future observers in the same field. I have, therefore, much 

 pleasure in making known the following facts, which lead me to 

 believe it probable that the American Kill-deer Plover (./Egialites 

 vociferus) has been met with on one occasion in this country. 



About a month ago, Mr. John R. Wise (a gentleman resident 

 in the south of Hampshire, and now engaged in preparing for 

 the press a work on the History and Scenery of the New Forest, 

 which will be published by Messrs. Smith and Elder about the 

 end of the year) brought to me a stuffed specimen of a Plover, 

 enclosed in a glass case. This, he stated, belonged to a friend 

 of his (a Mr. Tanner), and had been undoubtedly killed in the 

 New Forest. I had no difficulty in recognizing the bird at the 

 first glance as being the ^gialites vociferus of North America ; 

 for that species is so well mai-ked and so different in appearance 

 from its allies of the same genus as to be very readily identified. 

 In reply to my request for further information as to its authen- 

 ticity as a British specimen, Mr. Wise kindly favoured me, shortly 

 afterwards, with the following particulars : — 



" Since I wrote to you, I have seen Mr. Tanner, and communi- 

 cated with the bird-stuffer who prepared the bird. The facts are 

 these : — The bird was shot by a keeper to the Salmon Association 

 of Christchurch, of the name of Douding (now dead), in a 

 potato-field near Knapp Mill, on the River Avon, about a mile 

 from Christchurch. 



" The bird was taken in the flesh to Mr. William Hart, a bird- 

 stuffer in Christchurch, from whom my friend Mr. Tanner 

 bought it, 



" The date was some time in April 1857, but T cannot find out 

 the day of the month. ^^ 



It may be observed that some corroborative evidence of the 

 bird having been brought to Mr. Hart " in the flesh " would still 

 be desirable ; but I see nothing very improbable in the alleged 

 facts, and Mr. Wise seems confident as to their authenticity. 



