2Jntif 



234 BIRDS OF EGYPT. 



marshes of the Delta, the Fayoom, and near Erment, and it 

 may also be met with in Nubia. It is essentially a marsh 

 Plover, and may be seen either wading in the mud or shallow 

 water, or sitting stiU upon some raised bank. On rising 

 from the ground it frequently utters its ciy, which consists of 

 a single harsh note several times repeated. The bright 

 crimson reflections on the back, which are very beautiful in a 

 freshly killed specimen, fade slightly after death. 



Head and neck hair-brown, shading off paler in front of 

 the forehead and round the eyes, and merging into pure 

 white on the throat ; back, scapulars, smaller wing-coverts, 

 and some of the inner secondaries of a delicate crimson 

 shaded with brown ; tail-coverts and tail pure white ; pri- 

 maries black ; secondaries, basal half of the primary-coverts, 

 and the ends of the greater wing-coverts white ; the wing- 

 coverts have a black bar on them next to the white, forming 

 a band on the wing ; chest slaty grey ; abdomen and under 

 tail-coverts buff; beak black; legs pale yellow; irides hght 

 red, with a tinge of orange. 



Entire length 10' 5 inches; culmen 12; wing, carpus 

 to tip, 7 ; tarsus 3. 



Fig. Sharpe and Dresser, B. of Eur. part ii. 



231. Pltjvianus iEGYPTius (Linn.). Black-headed Plover. 



This species is plentifully distributed throughout Egypt 

 and Nubia, but is most abundant in Upper Egypt, from 

 Sioot to Thebes, being almost invariably seen in pairs. They 

 never wander far from the river-bank ; and when on the wing 

 fly close over the surface of the water, frequently uttering 

 their cry during flight. They look very handsome as they 



