On the Osteology o/Aramus scolopaceus. 33 



A nest coutainiug four eggs was found on March 18tli. 

 They resemble brownish eggs of Vanellus vulgaris, but are 

 less pyriform and much smaller. The deep brown patches 

 are all more or less longitudinal. 



Measurements: 41-1 by 285, 40 by 27-5, 40 by 27-5, 

 and 40 by 28"5 mm. 



108. Pluvianus ^GYPTius (Linn.). 



12 c?, 13 c?, 97 ? , 98 ? , 257 ? , 338 ? , 360 ? . 



These pretty birds were fairly well distributed along the 

 river-banks in small Hocks. Towards the end of March they 

 were evidently just on the point of breeding and occurred iu 

 pairs ; the ovaries of the females were very much enlarged, 

 and we often observed them scratching holes in the sand and 

 then covering them up, as though they were burying their 

 eggs. This habit is well known to the natives, who also are 

 acquainted with the eggs, which they describe as being green. 

 Curiously enough, they call this bird '^Asfur el timsah,^' that 

 isj "Bird of the Crocodile"; so there may be something in 

 Ilerodotus's story of the Trochilus after all ! 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE I. 



Fig'. 1. Cisticola aridula, p. 16. 



2. Egg of Passer ri'JidorsaUs, p. 9. 



3, 4. Eggs of Ccqjrimnlyus eximius, p. 20. 



II. — Notes upon the Osteology of Aramus scolopaceus. By 

 Frank E. Beddahd, M.A., F.R.S., Prosector and Vice- 

 Secretary of the Zoological Society of London. 

 Opinions as to the exact systematic position of this curious 

 bird have diifered and still differ greatly. A list of the 

 varying views that have been held at one time or another as 

 to tlie relationships of Aramus is to be found in Fiirbringer's 

 ' Untersuehungen^ *. From this it will appear that the bulk 

 of current opinion is in favour of keeping the bird in the place 

 which is assigned to it in the last edition of the ' Vertebrate 

 List,' where it is joined with the Cranes, Bustards, Cariama, 

 Rhinochetus, Psophia^ and Eurypyga to form Mr. Sclater''s 



* ' Untersuchuugen zur Morpliologiu und Systeuiatik tier Viigul,' &t;. 

 (Amsterdam, 1888), p. 1207. 



SEK. VIII. VOL. II. D 



