BIRDS OF EGYPT. 241 



Winter plumage. — All the upper parts, lores, under the 

 eye, and ear-coverts hair-brown, excepting the forehead and 

 a ring round the neck, which are white ; all the underparts 

 pure white, excepting the two spots of hair-brown on the 

 sides of the breast meeting in some specimens and forming 

 an indistinct collar. 



Male in summer plumage. — Top and back of the head 

 rufous, which colour is separated from the white forehead by 

 a black band ; lores, under the eye, ear-coverts, and a spot 

 on each side of the breast black. 



Legs and beak black ; irides dark brown. 



Entire length 65 inches; culmen O^O ; wing, carpus to 

 tip, 42 ; tarsus 11. 



Fig. Gould, B. of Eur. pi. 296. 



240. iEaiALiTis HiATicuLA (Linn.). Greater Ring-Plover. 



This species is included in the ' Description de I'Egypte ;' 

 and Von Heuglin (Syst. Ueb. p. 56) observes that it is to be 

 met with during the winter in Lower Egypt. I never found 

 the true yE. hiaticula, but have often killed JE. intermedius, 

 a very closely allied form, which has frequently been con- 

 founded with the present species. 



Breeding-plumage — Back of the head and all the upper 

 parts hair-brown ; remainder of the plumage and a ring 

 round the back of the neck white, with the following excep- 

 tions : — a band over the base of the beak, lores, under the eye, 

 ear-coverts, a band across the head from eye to eye, and a 

 broad collar extending round the back of the neck, all of 

 which parts are black ; quills dusky, fifth and consecutive 



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