GLAREOLID^. 629 



with white, which is reduced to a large sub-terminal spot on the 

 inner web of the third primary, and a small analogous spot on 

 the fourth; tail white at base, extending for two-thirds of the 

 length of the exterior web of its outermost feather ; the terminal 

 half of the tail black, passing basally into brown, and all but the 

 middle feathers having a small white spot at the extremity of 

 their inner webs. 



Bill yellow at the base, horny at the tip ; irides dark brown ; 

 legs pale fleshy yellow. Length 9^ to 10 inches; wing 6|; tail 3; 

 tarsus 2 1 ; middle toe with nail not 1 ; outer toe barely ^ ; bill 

 at front f . 



This remarkable Plover has hitherto, I believe, only been 

 procured by myself, from the hilly country above the Eastern Ghats, 

 ofi Nellore, and in Cuddapah. It frequents rocky and undulating 

 ground with thin forest jungle, and is found in small parties, not 

 very noisy, but occasionally uttering a plaintive cry. I believe it 

 to be a permanent resident. It is an almost unique instance of a 

 species of Plover having such an extremely limited geographical 

 distribution ; and I imagine that hereafter it will be found spread 

 through many parts of the Balaghat district and Mysore. Blyth 

 writes me that Hemerodromus cinctiis, recently figured in the Ibis, 

 vol. v., is certainly of the same genus as'this bird. It appears 

 to be the young of one of the other African species. 



Gray and Bonaparte place in this family Charadrius oegyptitts of 

 Linnffius under the name of Pluvianus, Vieill. ; and a somewhat 

 remarkable form, Oreophilus fotanirostris, from Australia. The 

 former has been killed in Europe, and is said by Degland to be 

 intermediate between the Couriers and the true Plovers. It has 

 the middle toe with the claw dilated and finely toothed internally, 

 thus resembling the Pratincoles, It is supposed to be the 

 Trochilus of Herodotus, said by him to take leeches and other 

 parasitic animals out of the mouths of Crocodiles. 



Fam. Glareolid^, Swallow-plovers. 

 Bill short, arched ; gape very large ; wings long ; tail even 

 or forked ; tarsus rather short, reticulated ; hind toe present, but 

 small. 



