AUSTRALIAN LIMICOL^. 969 



This locality is at the east side of Hawke Bay, on the coast of 

 the North Island. It is difficult to account for this singular 

 irregularity in the habits of a truly migratory species except 

 on the supposition that the birds were immature examples of 

 the previous year which had remained throughout the southern 

 winter in New Zealand and had acquired the breeding impulse 

 as the summer of their adopted country approached. It occurs 

 along the coasts of both islands of New Zealand, and is a 

 straggler to Norfolk Island. 



Retracing the distribution of this species to Southern Asia, 

 we find other migratory flocks passing probably down the 

 Malay Peninsula and occurring on passage in the Malay 

 Archipelago, in the islands of Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Celebes, 

 Bourn, Cerani, Batchian, and others. On both the west and 

 south coasts of New Guinea it has also been found, and thence 

 it passes to the Australian continent, along the coasts of which 

 it is found on the east, west, and south sides, being likewise 

 recorded from Port Darwin and the Gulf of Carpentaria. 

 It is common in Victoria and is tolerably plentiful in Riverina 

 and other suitable districts of the south of the continent. It 

 usually arrives in Tasmania about the month of October and 

 remains until March or April following, at which season 

 examples are to be found, according to Dr. Holden, in the 

 Circular Head District. A few birds are, however, to be seen 

 on the north coast, Mr. E. D. Atkinson writes me, in the 

 winter months, these being probably immature individuals of 

 the previous season. It is not uncommon on the Salt Pans 

 in the Tunbridge District during the summer, and is found on 

 the islands of Bass Straits. 



Returning to Asia we find this Golden Plover tolerably 

 scarce in the western* portion of the continent, where its 

 place is taken by its near ally, the Golden Plover of Europe, 

 Ch. pluvialis. It occurs in Astrakan in the autumn and 

 wanders south into Persia, where it is found at Muscat on 

 tlie Gulf Individuals however, stray in a remarkable manner 

 into Europe, probably accompanying their ally from the breed- 

 ing haunts of the latter on the Yenesei River : thus examples 

 have been procured at Archangel, and stragglers have been 

 obtained at Heligoland, in Holland, and in Malta, where an 

 individual was shot in May, 1861. 



* At page 937 of the " Birds of Ceylon " there is a printer's error (notice- 

 able from the context), in which '• south-eastern " should read south-western. 



