or little-known Limicolae. 387 



of synonyms of ^.mwn^o/z'cws (Pallas) "the North-African species 

 in summer dress having no white on the forehead, and less 

 rufous on the breast/' From this remark it might be inferred, 

 first, that Temminck took his description from a North-African 

 specimen, and, secondly, that the Asiatic form invariably has 

 white on the forehead. Neither inference would be in accord- 

 ance with the facts ; and, unwilling as I am to dissent from so 

 high an authority as Mr. Blyth, I think I shall be able to show 

 that jE. pyrrhothorax (Temm.) is identical with ^. mongolicus 

 (Pallas), and that the differences in plumage which are obser- 

 vable in different specimens, and have led to the supposition 

 that the two names belonged to two species, are such only as are 

 easily referable to age and to the particular season of the year 

 at which the specimens were obtained. 



The bird described by Temminck in his 'Manuel' {ut supixi), 

 and through his instrumentality figured by Mr. Gould in his 

 ' Birds of Europe,' was killed in the neighbourhood of St. 

 Petersburg, having strayed thither, in all probability, from Asia, 

 Both the description and plate show that in this s[)ecimen the 

 forehead is black and white, in this respect, as in every other, 

 agreeing with the description given by Pallas, both in his 'Reise ' 

 and ' Zoographia.' The measurements given by both authors, 

 too, confirm the impression that they both referred to the same 

 species. What, then, is the species referred to by Mr. Blyth, 

 which he would confine to North Africa, and call yE.pijrrho- 

 thorax, Temm., and of which he says that it has no white on 

 the forehead in summer ? There is a specimen in the British 

 Museum from Egypt which answers to his description ; and 

 this, as he informs me, suggested his remark which I have 

 quoted. I have recently examined the type-specimen of C. 

 pyrrhothorax in the Leyden Museum. This is labelled "■ S • St. 

 Petersburg, Brandt ; individu type du Charadrius pyrrhothorax 

 [mongolicus) Temm. ; " and although at first sight it appears to 

 have no white on the forehead, as indicated by the plate and de- 

 scription, an examination shows that the tips only of the frontal 

 feathers are black, the bases being white, indicating the change 

 to winter plumage. Dr. von Schrenck described a specimen 

 with black forehead, from the Amoor ; and I have in my own 



