488 Mr. H. E. Dresser on rare 



nest is easily seen ; the inner wall is closely and compactly 

 built of tamarisk-down, cotton, goat's and sheep's hair, 

 and wool intermixed with vegetable material, while the 

 dome or roof, which is curved in shape, is constructed of the 

 same materials as the outer wall. One nest was in an 

 Artemisia-^hrvib, only about six inches above the ground. 

 This shrub consisted of a short, sound stem with numerous 

 old and fresh branches forming a dense clump. In making 

 their nest the birds had removed some of the upper ends 

 of the central branches and formed a cup-shaped recess, thus 

 rendering the outer nest-wall unnecessary, it being replaced 

 by the branches surrounding the recess. The dome-shaped 

 roof was placed well above the nest, and had only one hole 

 instead of two as is usually the case. The dimensions of 

 the nests were as follows : — 



" Height of nest from the base to the top of the roof 240 

 to 260 mm. Height from the edge of the nest to the top 

 of the roof 130 to 150 mm. Height of the nest itself 100 

 to 130 mm., width of the nest at the top 112 to 160 mm., 

 depth of the nest 48 to 70 mm. Diameter of the opening to 

 the nest itself 81 to 110 mm. 



" The full clutch consists of four or five eggs. In one 

 instance I found six, but one was imperfect. At the end of 

 April (old style) in most cases the young were hatched, and 

 when I found eggs they were much incubated. 



" I may add that Podoces pleskii is a rare species, and only 

 found in Persia in a few localities far from towns and 

 villages." 



(4) ^GiALiTis PLACiDA. Loug-billcd Ringed Plover. 

 (Plate X. fig. 5.) 



JEgialitis placida Dresser, Man. Pal. B. p. 739. 



The only place from which I have been able to procure 

 the eggs of this Plover is Japan, whence I obtained a clutch 

 of four eggs, taken at Tamagawo, Musashi, on the 24th of 

 May, 1898. It breeds in stony plains on the borders of 

 rivers, and, like JE. kiaticola, makes no nest, but places its 

 eggs on the ground amongst small stones. According to 



