384 Mr. J. E. Harting on rare 



be supposed, however, that this habit is constant. There can 

 be no doubt that where different species live on the same kind 

 of food, they will consort together to procure it ; and this is 

 even the case with species belonging to different genera. Mr. 

 Swinhoe (J. A. S. B. xxix. p. 240) procured a specimen of JE. 

 geoffroyi in Amoy out of a flock of JE. cantianus; and the ex- 

 ample before mentioned, obtained by Mr. Layard in South 

 Africa, was accidentally killed from a flock of Charadriida? and 

 TringcE, feeding on a marsh ; and " its stomach contained 

 minute crustaceans, worms, and the insects found in these 

 brackish waters." The stomachs of recently killed specimens 

 examined by Mr, Swinhoe, in Formosa, were "lined with epi- 

 thelia of a mud-colour, and filled with remains of small univalve 

 mollusks and Crustacea" (Ibis, 1863, p. 405). The period at 

 which the breeding-plumage begins to be assumed varies con- 

 siderably, and cannot be said to depend upon locality. Mr. 

 Blanford procured a specimen at Zulla, Annesley Bay, which 

 had acquired tlie rufous pectoral band on the 23rd January, 

 while another, obtained a week earlier on the same coast, ex- 

 hibited no signs of change from the winter plumage. An adult 

 male and female, killed in Ccram on the 17th of April, were in 

 full plumage, while a second male, killed at the same time and 

 j)lace, had no black on the forehead. At Calcutta and Shanghai, 

 Messrs. Blyth and Swinhoe respectively found that this bird had 

 fully acquired its summer dress in May ; while an adult male shot 

 by Mr. Lord on the 23rd of that month at Tor, in the peninsula 

 of Sinai, had no trace of black upon the cheeks or forehead, and 

 only a faint tinge of buff across the breast*. 



- 6. iEeiALiTis MONGOLicusf (Pallas). 



Charadrius mongolus, Pallas, Reise, iii. p. 700(1776); Latham, 



* Messrs. Jerdon and Swinhoe (/. c.) have characterized this as " the 

 Lirgest species of the genus" ^yialitis; but they have overlooked the 

 American Kildeer Plover, yE". vociferns (Linn.), which, although possessing 

 a somewhat shorter bill and tarsus than u3i. yeoffroyi, exceeds it consider- 

 ably in total length and expanse of wing. The relative measurements 

 of ^. vociferus are — total length 9-7, bill '8, wing from carpus 6-5, 

 tarsus 1-3. 



t I retain this, as though not the oldest spelling of the word, it is pos- 

 siblv the more correct. 



