GRALLATORES. 237 



Genus OCHTHODROMUS, Reichenhach. 



Professor Reiclienbach has instituted this genus for the 

 Charadrius wilsonius of America, and as the biri;l I have called 

 Eiaticula inornata is precisely of the same form, I now place 

 it in the same genus. There are many other species in. India 

 and America. 



Sp. 511. OCHTHODROMUS INORNATUS, Gould, 

 Allied Dottrel. 



Hiaticula inornata, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vi.pl. 19. 



I have for some years had in my possession two examples 

 of this species, the uniformity of whose colouring suggested 

 the term of inornata as an appropriate appellation ; I have 

 received other examples with a brighter style of marking, 

 which is doubtless characteristic of the summer or breeding- 

 season, and which renders the above name only applicable to 

 the bird when in the plumage of winter. It is nearly allied 

 to the Ochthodromus wilsoni of North America, of which it 

 forms a beautiful representative in the distant country of 

 which it is a native. 



I possess no information whatever as to the extent of the 

 range of this species; Gilbert found it abundant on most 

 of the sandy points and bays in the neighbourhood of Port 

 Essington, and I believe that it also inhabits the islands in 

 Torres' Straits and New Guinea. 



The stomachs of those dissected contained the remains of 

 small crustaceous animals, and a large portion of sand. 



The male in summer has the forehead white, above which is 

 a stripe of black ; all the upper surface pale greyish brown ; 

 crown of the head rufous, which colour is continued on the 

 back and sides of the neck, and meeting on the centre of the 

 breast forms a pectoral band ; wings dark brown, the coverts 



