228 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



bird, the time will not be far distant when it will be diligently 

 sought after as an equally choice viand for the table. 



The Eudromias australis inhabits the low hills and plains of 

 the interior of Australia, a kind of habitat precisely similar to 

 that of its European prototype. 



" This singular bird," says Captain Sturt, in the Appendix 

 to his account of his recent expedition into the interior of 

 South Australia, "made its appearance in 1841 suddenly on 

 the plains of Adelaide, seeming to have come from the north. 

 It occupied the sand-hills at the edge of the mangrove swamps, 

 and fed round the puddles of water on the plains. This bird 

 afforded my friend, Mr. Torrens, an abundant harvest, as it was 

 numerous round his house ; but although some few have 

 visited South Australia every subsequent year, they have never 

 appeared in such numbers as on the first occasion. It runs 

 very fast along the ground. Mr. Browne and I met or rather 

 crossed several flights of these birds in August of 1845, going 

 south. They were on the large open plains, and w^ere very 

 wild." 



Forehead and all the upper surface Hght sandy buff", the 

 centres of the feathers being brown ; primaries brownish black 

 with sandy buff shafts, and all but the first four broadly mar- 

 gined with the same ; throat buffy white, below which a 

 crescent-shaped mark of blackish brown ; chest, flanks, and 

 under surface of the wing buff, passing into reddish chestnut 

 on the abdomen, beyond which the vent and under tail-coverts 

 are white ; tail brownish black, the centre feather margined 

 with buff, the outer ones with white ; bill dark olive-brown ; 

 feet yellowish brown. 



It will be interesting should the female of this bird prove 

 larger and more richly coloured than the male, as is the case 

 with the European Dottrel. 



Total length 7^ inches ; bill f ; wing 5 J ; tail 2| ; tarsi If. 



