256 CHARADRIID^. 



tertials, ash-brown edged with buff; wing-primaries ash- 

 grey, the first with a broad white shaft ; tail-feathers greyish- 

 brown ; those in the middle tipped with dull white, the 

 three outside feathers with broad ends of pure white ; the 

 chin and sides of the neck white ; the front and sides of the 

 neck below ash-grey ; from shoulder to shoulder, across the 

 breast, is a band of white, margined above and below with a 

 dark line ; breast rich fawn colour, passing to chestnut; belly 

 black ; vent and under tail-coverts white, tinged with buff ; 

 under wing-coverts and axillary plume greyish-white ; legs 

 and toes greenish-clay colour; the claws black. Willughby 

 has remarked, and subsequent observers have confirmed his 

 statement, that the females are larger and more brightly 

 coloured than the males. In younger birds the top of the 

 head, neck, and mantle are streaked and mottled with buff. 



The whole length is nine inches and a half. From the 

 carpal joint to the end of the wing, six inches ; the wing 

 in form pointed ; the first quill-feather the longest ; the 

 average weight about four ounces : but the Author has seen 

 one example that weighed six ounces and a half. 



Mr. Heysham's description of a young female, three 

 weeks or a month old, killed on Robinson July 25th, 1835, 

 is as follows : — " Forehead, throat, and sides of the face, 

 cream-yellow, covered with small spots and fine streaks of 

 greyish-brown. Crown of the head, occiput, and also the 

 feathers on the back, dark brown, all more or less broadly 

 edged with buff-orange. Scapulars and wing-coverts olive- 

 green, deeply edged with reddish-white ; tail the same, finely 

 margined with white, the centre feathers broadly tipped with 

 reddish- white, and the three lateral ones on each side ending 

 in a large irregular whitish spot. Sides of the neck, flanks, 

 and a broad band above each eye, buff-orange, the former 

 finely streaked with greyish-brown. Breast cinereous, 

 slightly tinged with reddish-white, and marked on each side 

 with large spots of olive-green. Belly white, finely spotted 

 here and there with greyish-brown. Bill black. Irides 

 dark brown. Legs pale olive-green ; soles bright yellow." 



