176 CHARADRIID2E. 



of black, gradually diminishing in size towards the outer feathers,, 

 and entirely disappearing on the two outermost rectrices, which 

 are entirely white ; wing-coverts light brown, a little darker than 

 the back, the greater series white, with brown bases ; bastard-wing, 

 primary-coverts, and quills black, the secondaries pure white, the 

 innermost light ashy brown like the back ; forehead, and a broad 

 superciliary band encircling the nape, creamy white ; crown of 

 head and nape black ; lores and a streak behind the eye black ; 

 below the eye a line of white ; cheeks and ear-coverts pale isabelline 

 brown, extending on to the sides of the neck and round the hind- 

 neck, as well as over the throat ; lower throat, fore-neck, and breast 

 dark ashy brown or stone-grey ; lower breast and abdomen black, 

 with a patch of chestnut on the lower abdomen ; lower flanks, 

 thighs, under tail-coverts, under wing-coverts, and axillaries pure 

 white ; primaries black below : " bill and feet black ; iris dark 

 brown " {G. E. Shelley). Total length 12 inches, culmen 1-3, wing 8, 

 tail 3 - 5, tarsus 2*35. 



Adult female. Does not differ from the male in plumage. Total 

 length 12 inches, culmen 1-25, wing 7*8, tail 3 - 4, tarsus 2-35. 



Young. Differs from the adults in being rather darker brown, 

 and in having sandy margins to the feathers of the upper surface ; 

 the head brown like the back ; lores white ; under surface of body 

 white, with no black on the breast or red on the abdomen, and the 

 chest mottled with black edgings to the feathers or by heart-shaped 

 spots in the centre of the latter : " bill black ; feet black, very 

 faintly tinged with lake in many specimens, though this colour is 

 scarcely observable ; iris blackish or very dark brown " (E. A. 

 Butler). 



There is no evidence before me that this Plover has any winter 

 plumage, though I have not seen any black-breasted birds killed in 

 the autumn. All the birds in the Museum shot at that time of 

 year appear to be young ones, with remains of sandy margins on 

 the feathers ; these are still to be seen as late as February, by 

 which time, however, most of the birds are in full plumage, or are 

 engaged in moulting into it. The females are a little more back- 

 ward than the males in the moult. See Colonel Butler's remarks 

 (Str. F. iv. p. 13). It is probable that the old birds have sandy- 

 buff margins to the feathers in the winter plumage, as would appear 

 to be the case with the Common Pewit ( Vanellus vanellus). 



Hah. The same as that recorded above for tbe genus. 



a. Ad. sk. Lower Volga (Henhe). Gould Coll. 



b, c. Ad. sk. Lower Volga (Henke). Seebohm Coll. 



d. Ad. sk. Trebizond (Dickson 8? Ross). Gould Coll. 



e. Ad. sk. Mesopotamia ( Co mmander Jones). India Museum. 

 /, g. Ad. sk. Samarkand. Seebohm Coll. 

 h. Ad. st. Altai Mountains. Brandt Coll. 



i, k. Ad. sk. Omsk. St. George Littledale, 



Esq. [P.]. 

 1. $ ad. sk. Steppes of Maiterek, S. Altai, Dr. 0. Finsch [C.]. 

 June 4. 



