C3G BIRDS OF INDIA. 



inhabits all Europe, temperate Asia, the north of Afiica, and 

 Australia ; is stated to breed far north, among mountains, and its 

 eggs are said to be very large. 



Varieties of the Grey Plovers are given from America and 

 Australia, and one species, S. rhynchomega, with a very strong 

 bill, from Abyssinia, is recorded by Bonaparte. Between the 

 Grey and Golden Plovers, the same Ornithologist places l^onihyx 

 ^nodestus Licht. {V. cinctus Lesson,) figured Zool. Yoy. de la 

 Coquille, pi. 43. 



Gen. Charadrius, Linn, (as restricted.) 



Syn. Pluvialis, Brisson. 



Char. — Bill straight, short, compressed, swollen at the tip; 

 legs moderate ; wings long, pointed, 1 st quill longest ; tail short. 



The plumage of these birds is visually brown spotted with 

 yellow, hence they are called Golden Plovers ; in summer the 

 whole lower surface becomes black, the upper plumage at the same 

 time assuming a darker tinge. Several very closely allied specie* 

 are found all over the world. 



845. Charadrius longipes, Temminck. 



C, virginicus, apud Blyth, Cat. 1560 — C. pluvialis apud Sykes, 

 Cat. 209, and Jerdon, Cat. 359 — C. xanthocheilus, WAGLiiR, 

 Gould, Birds of Australia, VL, pi. 13? — C. orientalis, Schllgel 

 — Chota battan, H. 



The Golden Plover. 



Descr. — In winter plumage the general colour above is dull 

 blackish-grey, the edges of all the feathers with triangular spots of 

 gamboge yellow ; the primaries blackish ; tail-feathers banded whit- 

 ish and dull black ; the chin white, front of neck and breast white, 

 tinged with dusky and spotted with dull yellow ; the rest of the 

 lower plumage dull whitish ; the flanks somewhat spotted with 

 ashy and yellowish. 



Bill dull black ; irides deep brown ; legs and feet dark plum- 

 beous green. Length 10 inches ; extent 20 ; wing 6| ; tail 2| j 

 bill at front ^ ; tarsus If. 



In summer the upper plumage becomes darker, the ground 

 colour being somewhat deeper, and the yellow spots diminished 



