CHARADRIN^. 635 



Gen. Squatarola, Cuvier. 



Char. — Bill enlarged at the tip, both above and below ; nasal 

 groove short ; a very minute hind toe present, provided with a 

 rudimentary claw ; otherwise as in Cliaradrius. 



This genus differs from Chafadrius only in possessing a rudimen- 

 tary hind toe and claw, and the colours and changes it undergoes 

 at the spring moult are quite similar. Gray in his List of Genera 

 places this genus among the Lapwings, far from its natural place. 



844. Squatarola Helvetica, Gmelin. 



Tringa, apud Gmelin — T. squatarola, Linn^us — Blyth, Cat. 

 1558— Gould, Birds of Europe, pi. 230 — Burra battan, H. 



The Grey Plover. 



Desc'>\ — In winter plumage, forehead and chin white ; streak 

 over the eyes, forepart of the neck, sides of the breast and 

 flanks, white, variegated with spots of brown and ash colour ; 

 head and all the upper parts of the body dusky brown, the 

 feathers edged and tipped with greyish white ; belly, abdomen, 

 thighs and upper tail-coverts, pure white ; beneath the wing 

 some long black feathers arising from the axilla ; tail white, 

 towards the tip reddish, with transverse brown bars which become 

 paler and less numerous on the lateral feathers. 



Bill black ; irides dusky brown ; feet blackish grey. Length 

 12 inches or so; wing 8; tail 3| ; bill at front 1;^; tarsus 2; 

 mid toe If. 



In summer plumage the forehead, lores, throat, and whole lower 

 surface, become deep black, edged by white on the forehead and 

 sides of the neck, and the upper plumage is brown, more or less 

 barred with black and white. The young birds differ from the 

 winter plumage only in having the spots on the breast and flanks 

 larger and paler, and the upper parts greyish with white spots. 



The Grey Plover is found occasionally throughout India in 

 the cold season, chiefly, perhaps, near the sea coast and in 

 the north of India. I have obtained it from the Madras market, 

 and seen it north-east of Calcutta on the banks of large rivers. 

 It associates in moderately sized flocks, and is somewhat wary. It 



