r.RALLATORES. 225 



The Grey Plover afFects the low muddy shores of the sea- 

 coast and the mouths of large rivers, and feeds upon worms, 

 various kinds of insects, and their larvge. 



Crown of the head, upper surface, and wings light olive, 

 mottled with white ; primaries blackish brown, with the 

 basal portion of their inner webs and the apical half of their 

 shafts white ; rump white ; tail white, crossed by broad bars 

 of light olive ; face and all the under surface white, with 

 numerous brown striae, and a wash of buff on the sides of the 

 neck and across the breast ; irides blackish brown ; bill and 

 feet blackish olive. 



Genus CHARADRIUS, Linnaeus. 



The Australian fauna comprises a single species of this 

 genus, the representative of the C. pluvialis of Europe, from 

 which it differs in having brown axillaries. 



Sp.504. CHARADRIUS ORIENTALIS. 



Australian Golden Plover. 



Charadrius pluvialis orienialis, Temm. et Schleg. Faun. Jap., p. 104, 

 tab. 62. 



Charadrius xanthocheilus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vi. 

 pi. 13. 



Although nowhere very abundant, this bird is generally dis- 

 persed over all the colonies from Tasmania to the extreme north 

 of the continent of Australia. In all probability it is the same 

 bird that is found in the island of Java, and more than 

 probably the species inhabiting India ; its range therefore is 

 very extensive. I obtained several specimens on the banks 

 of the Derwent in Tasmania, observed it in small numbers 

 on the flats below Clarence Plains, and also killed examples 

 on one of the islands in Bass's Straits. 



Its habits, manners, and general economy so closely re- 

 vol. II. Q 



