204 Mr. J. E. Harting on rare 



placed anteriorly ; the middle and outer toe of each foot con- 

 nected at their base by a slight membrane. Legs and toes 

 greenish-ochreous. The sexes similar. 



Adult, in winter. Crown, nape, whole of the back, and wings 

 above as in summer, but somewhat })aler in colour. No rufous 

 pectoral band, but in lieu thereof a patch of dusky-grey on each 

 side of the breast. The rest of the under parts pure white. 

 Legs and toes paler than in summer. 



Young. Crown, nape, whole of back, and wings above hair- 

 brown, each feather margined with buff. The parts which 

 in the adult are white, tinged with buff. The pectoral band 

 presents a mottled appearance, each feather being light brown, 

 margined with light buff. Primaries and axillaries as in the 

 adult; secondaries edged with buff. Legs and toes pale horn - 

 colour. 



Dimensions. Total length 7"5 inches ; bill "8; wing 5*5; bare 

 part of tibia '7 ; tarsus 1"5 ; middle toe "8. 



Pallas, who first noticed this species in his travels through 

 the Russian empire, described it as a rare and solitary bird ; and 

 it was not until many years later that its appearance was again 

 noted by other observers. Even Middendorff and Radde, who 

 went over a portion of the same ground, did not meet with 

 it ; and that it was not inadvertently overlooked by Middendorff 

 may be assumed from his remark that it is easily distinguishable 

 from JEffialitis mongolicus by its longer tarsus *. The pages 

 of Von Schrenck's ' Reisen im Amurlande^ afford no information 

 with regard to this species ; and on turning to tlie works of 

 Pallas's contemporaries, Latham and Gmelin, we find that they 

 have merely copied his original description. Subsequently 

 Pallas identified the Charadrius caspius of his ' Zoographia ' 

 (ii. p. 136.) with the C. asiaticus of his former work ; and thus 

 the matter stood until 1827, when Wagler published his ' Sy- 

 stema Avium.' In this volume he described a Plover under the 

 head of Charadrius jugularis, which he identified with the pre- 

 sent species. 



As regards the Charadrius xanthochilus of Wagler {pp. cit. 

 no. 36) various opinions have been expressed. Some, who have 



* Sibh-ische Eeise, Band ii., 2, 1, p. 211. St. Petersburg: 1851. 



