218 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



but from the sombre colouring of its plumage it is not so con- 

 spicuous and attractive as the White-breasted Oyster-catcher. 



Its eggs are two in number, two inches and three quar- 

 ters long by one and three-quarters broad, of a hght stone- 

 colom% blotched all over with large irregular markings of dark 

 brown, some of which appear as if beneath the surface and 

 of a purplish hue. 



It becomes exceedingly clamorous if its nest be intruded 

 upon, frequently uttering a loud shrill call while flying back- 

 wards and forwards near its breeding-place. 



The entire plumage of a uniform sooty black, slightly 

 glossed on the neck and under surface with green ; bill and 

 eyelash extremely rich orange-yellow -, irides red ; legs and 

 feet dull brick-red. 



Total length 15 inches; bill 3; wing 9^; tail 4 ; tarsi 2^. 



Genus LOBIVANELLUS, Strickland. 



Two species of this beautiful form inhabit Australia, one 

 the northern and the other the southern parts of the country ; 

 I believe they are both confined to this portion of the globe. 

 Other species are found in India and Africa. 



Sp. 500. LOBIVANELLUS LOBATUS. 



Wattled Plover. 



Tringa lohata, Lath. Ind. Orn., Supp. p. Ixv. 

 Wattled Sandpiper, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 313. 

 Vanellus lobatus, Vieill. Ency. Meth. Orn., part iii. p. 1075. 

 Charadrius lobatus, Wagl. Syst. Av., sp. 51, 



Vanellus nova-hollandia, Steph. Cont. of Shawns Gen. Zool., vol. xi. 

 p. 516. 



gallinaceus, Jard. and Selby, 111. Orn., vol. iii. pi. 8J). 



KaUoo-nagh, Aborigines of New South Wales. 

 Alarm-bird of the Colonists. 



Lobivanellus lobatus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vi.pl. 9. 

 This species is common in most parts of New South Wales, 



