Notes on some Waders. 527 



latter ! He says : " It appears best to class together the 

 Sand-Plovers, Dotterels, and Ringed Plovers/' and admits 

 that: ''Structurally there is no difference between the 

 present genus (i. e. jEgialitis) and Charadrius. The only 

 distinction, except in size, is in plumage/' by which he 

 means coloration. We do not see ho\r size can decide the 

 question, as the Dotterel is just about halfway in size 

 between the Golden and Ringed Plovers, and we cannot 

 admit the different coloration as of taxonomic value, least 

 of all if the Dotterel is united with the Ringed Plovers ! 



ii. On Charadrius alexandrinus. 



In the Hand-list of British Birds, p. 167, the distribution 

 of C. alexandrinus ale.vandrinus, during the breeding-season, 

 lias been given as "Europe from south Sweden to Mediter- 

 ranean and north Africa, Madeira, Canary, Cape Verde 

 Islands and Azores, apparently to east Siberia and Corea,'' 

 and it has been said that it is replaced by allied forms in 

 China, America, and " apparently also Ceylon/' 



In the B. O. U. List (p. 245) apparently only one form is 

 recognised, as the distribution covers the whole area, in- 

 cluding China and Ceylon, though it is added : " Various 

 races have been recognised/' 



We find the view of the Hand-list correct, and Seebohm 

 in his ' Geogr, Distr. of the Charadriidse ' has first correctly 

 separated the races, which are as follows : — 



1. Charadrius alexandrinus alexandrinus L. 



Charadrius alexandrinus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. ed. x. i. 

 p. 150 (1758— Egypt). 



Charadrius canlianus Latham, Ind. Orn. Suppl. p. Ixvi 

 (1801— Kent). 



For further synonyms see Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. 

 pp. 275-276. 



Wing in both sexes about 106-115 and not rarely even 

 118 and (once) 119 mm. Bill generally about 14-15 mm., 

 hardly ever longer. 



Breeds from the southern coasts of England, south Sweden, 



