278 CHARADRIIDJ-:. 



Charadrius cantianus dealbatus, Seebohm, t. c. p. 170; id. B. Japan. 

 JEmp. p. 310 (1890) ; Hartl. Abhandl. not. J'er. Bremen, xii. p. 331 

 (1892 : Hainan) ; Seebohm, Ibis, 1893, p. 53 (Liu Kiu Islands). 



Adult male in breeding-plumage. General colour above pale 

 earthy brown, with faint remains of paler margins to the feathers ; 

 wing-coverts like the back, the marginal ones blackish brown, the 

 greater series darker brown, with a narrow white edging to the tip ; 

 bastard-wing and primary-coverts dark sepia-brown, the latter 

 fringed with white at the tip ; quills sepia-brown, with white shafts 

 to the primaries, which are pale brown on the inner web, the inner 

 primaries for the most part white towards the base of the outer 

 web ; the secondaries dusky brown with white tips, the inner ones 

 also white along the margins of both webs, the innermost long 

 secondaries brown like the back ; lower back, rump, and upper tail- 

 coverts dark sepia-brown, the lateral ones white, forming a patch 

 on each side ; the four centre tail-feathers dark sepia-brown, paler 

 towards the base, and having white shafts to the centre ones, the 

 three outer feathers white, the next ones smoky brown with white 

 shafts ; crown of head ashy brown, washed with light tawny rufous, 

 especially distinct towards the nape ; hind-neck and sides of neck 

 white, forming a collar ; forehead and a distinct eyebrow white, 

 with a broad black band separating the white of the forehead from 

 the brown of the crown ; eyelid and loral streak black ; feathers 

 below the eye and sides of face white, with a black patch on the 

 hinder ear-coverts ; cheeks and under surface of body pure white, 

 with a patch of black on each side of the chest ; under wing-coverts 

 and axillaries white ; quills below light ashy like the lower 

 primary-coverts : "bill black, with the base of the lower mandible 

 of a dusky flesh-colour ; tarsi dusky, toes darker, claws black ; iris 

 brown " ( W. Macgillivray). Total length G - 5 inches, culmen - 7, 

 wing 4-15, tail 1"7, middle toe and claw - 7. 



Adult female. Similar to the male, but with less rufous on the 

 head, this being represented by a tinge over the eye and round the 

 nape, the black band on the fore part of the crown absent, the 

 black patch on each side of the chest represented by a brown patch 

 with a rufous tinge. Total length 6-5 inches, culmen 0-7, wing 4-3, 

 tail 1*9, tarsus l'l. 



The Kentish Plovers which attain their breeding-plumage in the 

 plains of India are certainly much brighter in colour than any 

 which are seen in Europe. The black forehead and patch at the 

 6ide of the chest are also strongly developed. Occasionally a rufous 

 tinge overshades the back. 



The adidt bird in winter plumage differs from the summer 

 plumage in the entire absence of bright rufous on the head, and the 

 black markings on the face and sides of the breast are also not 

 developed. The head is like the back, the forehead and eyebrow 

 are white, the lores dusky, and there is always a more or less 

 distinct white collar united to the two sides of the neck. 



Young birds in first winter plumage only differ from the adults in 

 having the whole upper surface distinctly marked with pale edges 

 to the feathers. 



