or little-known Limicolse. 383 



enough*; Mr. E. Newton foand it in the Seychellesf and in 

 Mauritius, from which last-named locality I have specimens, 

 procured there by Mr. W. H. Power. 



If we now trace the distribution of jE. cjeoffroyi along the 

 eastern shores of the Indian Ocean, it will be found to be pretty 

 generally distributed from China and Japan, throughout the 

 whole of the Malay archipelago, to New Guinea and Australia. 

 On looking at the figure of Mr. Gould's Hiaticula inornata in 

 the 'Birds of Australia,' I at one time thought with Professor 

 Schlegel (Mus. P.-B. Cursores, p. 39) that the species referred 

 to was ^. geoffroyi. No measurements being given, I was led 

 to this conclusion chiefly from the robust form of the bill in the 

 figure. Mr. Gould, however, has recently shown me a skin or 

 his species from Port Essington, which differs from the plate 

 not only in plumage, being without the buff-coloured patch on 

 each side of the breast (indicative of the first year's plumage), 

 but also in not having the large bill which is depicted in the 

 drawing. After carefully comparing this bird with skins of 

 other allied species, there can be little doubt, t think, that it is 

 jTl. mongolicus in winter plumage. 



There is good reason, nevertheless, for including ^.yeo^royi 

 among the birds of Australia, although Mr. Gould has not yet 

 done so. I have seen skins in winter plumage from Cape York, 

 and it is not unlikely that, in North Australia at least, this 

 species is a seasonal visitant. 



On the sandy shores of Formosa, according to Mr. Swinhoe, 

 our bird is abundant [cf. Ibis, 1863, p. 405) ; and from the fact 

 of the young being found in the island, it is conjectured that 

 the species breeds there. Nothing certain, however, with re- 

 spect to its nest and eggs has yet been ascertained. 



Like most of its congeners, it is gregarious, frequenting sandy 

 shores and the mouths of large rivers. Dr. von Heuglin, who 

 found this bird in the same locality with jE. mongolicus, says 

 (/. c.) that the two species kept in separate flocks. It need not 



* Schlegel & Pollen, Reck. Faun. Madag. Mamm.et Ois. p. 129; E. 

 Newton, Ibis, 1863, p. 455. 

 t Ibis, 1867, p. 343. 



N. S. VOL. VI. 2 JB 



