HIMANTOPUS. 113 



patch ou hinder ear-coverts; cheeks and under surface pure white, with 

 a patch of black on each side of chest; under wing-coverts and axillars 

 white; quills below light ashy like the lower primary-coverts. ^Bill 

 black, with the base of lower mandible of a dusky flesh-color ; tarsi dusky, 

 toes darker, claws black; iris brown.' (MacgiUivray.) Length, 165; 

 culmen, 18 ; wing, 105 ; tail, 43 ; middle toe with claw, 18. 



"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 ; black 

 band on the fore part of crown absent ; black patch on each side of the 

 chest represented by a brown patch with a rufous tinge. Length, 165; 

 culmen, 18; wing, 109; tail, 48; tarsus, 28. 



"The Kentish plovers which attain their breeding plumage in the 

 plains of India are certainly much brighter in color than any which are 

 seen in Europe. The black forehead and patch at the side of the chest 

 are also strongly developed. Occasionally a rufous tinge overshades the 

 back. 



"The adult 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 ivinter plumage only differ from the adults in 

 having the whole upper surface distinctly marked with pale edges to the 

 feathers." (Sharpe.) 



This plover appears to be a winter visitant to tlie Philippines and may 

 be found in small flocks along the seasliore wherever there are tide-flats. 

 Tt differs from both ^-E. dubia and peroni in being slightly larger and 

 in liaving an incomplete band on tlie fore breast. 



Subfamily HIMANTOPODIN.^. 



Genus HIMA^TTOPUS Brisson, 1760. 



Bill long, slender, straight, and pointed; wing long and slender, 

 reaching well beyond tip of tail, first primary much the longest: tail 

 short and square; legs extremely long and slender; bare portion of tibia 

 equal to three-fourths of tarsus, the latter two and one-half times as long 

 as middle toe with claw; toes wel)bed at base; hind toe wanting. 



98. HIMANTOPUS LEUCOCEPHALUS Could. 

 AUSTRALIAN STILT. 

 Uimantopus leucocephaliis Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1837), 26; Sharpe, 

 Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1890), 24, 317; Hand-List (1899), 1, 156; 

 Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2, 34; McGregor and Worckster, 

 Hand-List (1906), 24. 



Basilan {McGregor) ; Mindanao {Cuming, Everett, Steere Exp.. Celestino). 

 Greater Sunda Islands, Moluccas, Australia, New Guinea. 

 77719 8 



