AUSTRALIAN LIMICOL^. 



939 



thither to rear their young, the CharadriidcB and ScolopacidcB 

 iTiigrate pretty well due south of their own particular breed- 

 ing grounds until they reach some territory which terminates 

 their migratory path or else diverts them off to the east or 

 west into contiguous regions. In other words, " Shore- 

 plovers," or Sand-pipers which breed in the nearctic region 

 migrate down the American coasts, some diverging off" into 

 the West Indies, others continuing onwards into South 

 America ; while other members of the same species which 

 breed in the palsearctic region migrate — (1st) through 

 Europe to the Mediterranean, and thence onwards into 

 Africa, according as the migratory impulse is weak or strong ; 

 (2nd) through Asia southwards to India and Ceylon, which 

 terminates their journey ; (3rd) down the coast of China into 

 the Malay Archipelago, and thence onward to Austraha, a 

 considerable diversion of the migratory stream taking place 

 through the PhiUppines and the Papuan Islands into 

 Oceania. Thus it will be understood that a Turnstone or 

 Grey Plover breeding in Greenland or the Hudson's Bay 

 territory, will winter in the West Indies or Mexico, while a 

 Turnstone or Grey Plover breeding in N.E. Siberia will 

 pass its winter season perhaps in Tasmania or in Fiji. 



The number of species in this order inhabiting the 

 Southern Hemisphere is smaller than in the Northern, owing 

 to the comparatively small quantity of land available for 

 their location after migration, and likewise the distance of 

 the southern territory from their Arctic breeding-grounds. 

 In England, for example, the Limicoline birds number forty- 

 eight, some of which are American wanderers. In Ceylon, 

 another small region, and which is also situated at the end of 

 the migratory path of Asio-Indian migrants, the LimicoLce 

 number forty-four species. Coming now to Australia, with 

 its vast territory and lengthy coast line, we find only forty-six 

 species resident in, or migratory to its shores, only twenty-one 

 or -two of which fall to the share of Tasmania. Still further 

 south is New Zealand, lying wide of the general migratory 

 path, and conspicuous for the paucity of its species in spite 

 of its great coast line. There the Limicoline birds only 

 number twenty, six being peculiar to the country. 



Doubtless if an Antarctic continent with a climate as mild 

 in its medium latitudes as the Arctic regions existed, we 

 should have a far greater number of shore-migrants than are 

 now included in our lists, and I may here remark that the 

 existence of such a species us the Double-banded Dotterel, 



