380 Mr. J. E. Harting on rare 



feathers on the upper part of the back more or less tinged with 

 rufous. Wing-coverts slightly tijjped with white^ forming a 

 continuous bar of that colour, which is conspicuous in flight. 

 Primaries almost black ; the outer web of all, except the first 

 five, mesially white ; the shaft of the first pure white ; the 

 shafts of the others only mesially so. Tail-coverts hair-brown, 

 approaching to white at the sides. Tail long and square, con- 

 sisting of twelve feathers, pale hair-brown, the six middle 

 feathers darkest in colour, the outermost on each side almost 

 white, the tips of all white. Chin and throat pure white ; 

 across the breast a broad ferruginous collar, extending completely 

 round the neck ; the rest of the under parts, including the under 

 wing-coverts and axillaries, pure white. Legs long and mode- 

 rately slender, bluish-grey ; toes and joints darker ; claws black. 



Adult, in winter. Bill as in summer ; forehead white, with 

 little or no trace of the black band which crosses it in summer ; 

 lore, space under the eye, and ear- coverts hair-brown. Top of the 

 head, nape, back, wing-coverts, and tertials pale hair-brown. 

 No trace of the ferruginous collar seen in summer, but a dusky 

 hair-brown spot only on each side of the breast. The whole of 

 the under parts, with this exception, pure white. 



Young. Resembles to a certain extent the adult in winter, 

 but with each feather on the upper portion of the plumage mar- 

 gined with pale bufi^, and in lieu of the pectoral band a buff 

 spot on each side of the breast. The rest of the under pai'ts 

 from chin to breast pure white. Bill, legs, and toes lighter 

 than in the adult. 



Dimensions. Total length 8*5 inches ; bill 1 ; wing, from 

 carpus, 5'5 ; tarsus 1"4. 



On glancing at the list of localities given above, it will be 

 seen that the present species has a very extensive range; and it 

 might be supposed in consequence that its history must be 

 tolerably well known to ornithologists. The general resem- 

 blance, however, which this bird bears to other rufous-breasted 

 Plovers, has led to its being confounded in turn with at least 

 two distinct species of the same group. Moreover, although 

 numerous isolated references to jE. geojfroyi are to be found in 

 various works, no attempt hitherto appears to have been 



