BIEDS OF EGYPT. 235 



thus skim along the stream on outspread pinions, displaying 

 their distinctly marked plumage to the greatest advantage. 



Top and sides of the head, nape, back, and band round 

 the chest, base and tip of the quills, and greater part of the 

 first primary glossy black ; scapidars, wings, and tail-coverts, 

 and the whole tail excepting the tip clear grey ; a band over 

 each eye meeting at the back of the head, throat, edge of the 

 pectoral black band, about half of each quill, and end of the 

 tail pure white; remainder of the underparts bufi"; beak 

 black, with a small grey spot near the base of the lower 

 mandible ; legs clear grey ; irides brown. 



Entire length 8*5 inches ; culmen 07; wing, carpus to tip, 

 5*4, tarsus 1'4. 



rig. Gould, B. of Asia, part xvii. 



232. Charadrius pluvialis, Linn. Golden Plover. 



The Golden Plover only visits Egypt during the winter, 

 and does not range south of Cairo. In the Delta I have met 

 with it in flocks on the open ground, or by the edge of the 

 marshes, and I have frequently killed specimens. It pro- 

 bably arrives about September, and leaves again in March. 



Winter plumage. — Upper parts black, mottled with yellow ; 

 forehead and over the eye buff ; primaries dusky black with 

 some white on the shafts, secondaries barred on the edges 

 with yellow ; under wing-coverts and axillary plumes white ; 

 tad black, barred and tipped with whitish yellow ; under- 

 parts white, shaded with brown on the lower part of the 

 throat and crop, and spotted on those parts with dusky 

 brown ; beak black ; legs dusky ; ii-ides dark brown. 



