AVES. 413 



Pluvianns Vieill., Gray, Ammoptila Swains. Bill shorter 

 than head, strong, curved from the culmen towards the tip. (Feet 

 as in Cuisorius, but tai'si longer.) Wings with second quill 

 longest. 



Sp. Cursorius char adr old es Wagl., Pliivianus cegyptius Gray, Charadrius 

 melanocephalus Lath., Buff. PI. enl. 918, Diet. univ. d'Hist. nat., Ois. 

 PI. 22, fig. i; Egypt. It is related that this bird seeks for insects, espe- 

 cially gnats, in the mouth of crocodiles, which is always open when these 

 animals bask in the sun ; it is perhaps the rp^xiXos of Herodotus, II. 68, 

 which keeps the crocodile's mouth clear of leeches ? 



(Edicnemus Temm. (spec, of Charadrius L., Illig.). Bill 

 moderate (or longer than head), strong; lower mandible ascending 

 to the tip from the rather prominent angle. Nostrils placed in a 

 depression of bill, longitudinal, opening anteriorly, pervious. Feet 

 elongate, cursorial, with tarsi reticulate. Toes conjoined at the base 

 by membrane, the lateral toes short, the middle somewhat long. 

 Wings with first quills subequal, the first longest of all. Tail long, 

 cuneate. 



Sp. (Edicnemus crepitans Temm., Charadrius (Edicnemus L., Buff. PI. enl. 

 919, Naum. Taf. 172; the common thick-knee; principallj' in Southern 

 Europe, North Africa and Western Asia; rare with us. The young birds 

 have the tarsi much enlarged at the bend of the feet. — (Edicnemus gralla- 

 rius, (Edicnemus longijyes Geoffr., PL colcn: 386, Less. Ornith. PI. 94, 

 fig. 2 ; New Holland. — In some species the bill is longer than the head : 

 (Edicnemus magnirostris Geoffr., Temm. PL col. 387; Celebes, New 

 Guinea, and (Edicnemus recurvirostris, Mus. Paris., Gray Gev,. of Birds, 

 PL CXLii. ; from Bengal; in this last species the bill is curved upwards. 

 It forms the genus Esacus of Lesson. 



Charadrius L. (excl. of many species), Temm. Bill shorter 

 than head, tumid behind the nostrils, subulate. Nostrils linear, 

 perforated in membrane covering the groove of mandible. Feet 

 moderate, cursorial ; outer toes conjoined at the base by membrane. 

 Tarsi reticulate with scales. Wings moderate, with first two quills 

 subequal, the first mostly longest of all. Tail rounded or even. 



Sp. Charadrius pluvialis L. (and Ch. apricarius ejusd.), Buff. PL enl. 904, 

 Naum. Taf. 173, Cuv. R Ani., ed. ill., Ois. PI. 69, fig, 2; the golden 

 plover, der Gold-Regenpfeifer; black above, with yellow spots; in the 

 summer plumage neck and breast deep black. This species lays in a hole 

 on the ground four or three, very large, yellow-green, spotted with brown, 

 smooth eggs. — Charadrius morinellus L., Buff. PL enl. 832, Naum. Taf. 

 1 74, the dotterel plover; brownish, a white band behind the eyes ; in the 



