298 ' BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



567. Charadrius Hiaticula, Linn., pi. Eni, 921 , 



Hiaticula Torquata, Leach ; The Common Ring- 

 Plover ; MacGill. Brit. Birds, Vol. 3, p. 1 1 6 ; Bewick's 

 Brit. Birds, Vol. 2, p. 16. 



Adult, with the upper parts greyish-brown ; the forehead 

 with two bands, a white and a black ; a dark-brown band 

 under the eye ; a rinj? of white including the throat, suc- 

 ceeded by a broader ring of brownish-black ; bill orange at 

 the base, black at the tip ; feet orange ; claws black. Young, 

 without the black band on the forehead, the other bands 

 lighter ; the feathers of the upper parts margined with pale- 

 brownish ; the bill entirely black ; the feet dull greenish- 

 yellow; the claws black. Length, 8" 6'"; wing, 6" 4'"; 

 tail, 2" 8'".* 



M. Victoria procured this species at the Knysna, and Mr. Ayre.^ 

 at Natal. My son shot a fine specimen in full plumage at Salt JRiver 

 Mouth, near Cape Town, in April, 1865. 



568. Charadrius Marginatus, Vieii. ; n. Die. 



d'Hist Nat., XXVII, p. 138 ; C7/i. Leucopolms, Wagler; 

 Hiaticula Heyivoodii, Gray. 



Above, cinereous-brown ; the edges of the feathers rufescent > 

 forehead white ; nuchal band faint-rufous ; lores black ; be- 

 low all white ; wing-coverts brown, with white shafts ; webs 

 of inferior wing-feathers margined and tipped with white; 

 four middle tail-feathers brown ; those at the side white. A 

 specimen shot April 29th, 18b3, measured : length, 7" ; wing, 

 4" 9"' ; tail, 2^". Irides brown ; bill black ; the base livid ; 

 legs and feet livid-blue. 



This little Sand-Piper is common along all parts of our coast, and on 

 any extensive inland pieces of water. It breeds with us in the month 

 of November, generally laying two eggs, of a fawn or nankin colour, 

 profusely spotted with black, sometimes streaked, and sometimes the 

 spots form a circle at the obtuse end : axis, 16'" ; diam., 11'". 



The young run immediately on their exclusion from the egg. They 

 are covered with white down, and on being pursued, cower down with 

 such success among the rounded white pebbles, which they closely 

 resemble, that if once the eye is taken off them, it is a mere chance jf 

 they are again detected. 



* I copy entire the descriptions of C. Hiaticula and 0. Cantianus from MacGil* 

 liyray's work on the Birds of Britain, in order that the two species may readily be 

 distinguished from each other. I also use his excellent descriptions for such of our 

 birds as belong to this class, as none cau exceed them for clearnees^aud accuracy. 



