1922.] Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 215 



attention to their similarity to the eggs of the Little 

 Ringed Plover, ^gialitis duhia (Bull. B. O. C. xli. 1921, 

 p. 89). 



At the time I took very little notice of them, as my 

 opinion was not asked. However, at a subsequent meeting 

 of the H.O. C, I\Ir. Jourdain again exhibited these eggs, 

 and I was then requested to give an opinion on them, and 

 immediately challenged Mr. Jourdain's identification, and 

 suggested an error in regard to identification on the part 

 of Capt. P. W. Munn, vrho took them. Members of the 

 Club will doubtless remember that Mr. Jourdain was most 

 emphatic in his remarks supporting Capt. Munn's identifi- 

 cation, and adding that the Little Ringed Plover was not 

 breeding in the Bale;iric Isles, neither had they been seen 

 there. In this he was supported by Mr. Witherby, who 

 added that Mr. Munn had most carefully identified the eggs. 

 I still maintain that the eggs are those of the Little Ringed 

 Plover, and that an error has been made. In support of 

 this, 1 now find that Mr. Munn did find the Little Ringed 

 Plover breeding on the Balearic Isles in 1921 (ibis, 1921, 

 p. 712). 



It is quite possible that the Kentish Plover was brooding 

 on eggs of the Lesser Ringed Plover, hence the error. The 

 love of brooding is well known to many field naturalists, 

 and I have myself known the Kentish Plover to brood 

 the eggs of the Ringed Plover, ^gialitis hiaticula, on 

 Duugeness beach. It is also well known that the Bar- 

 tailed Godwit, Limosa lapponica, will brood the eggs of the 

 Whimbrel, Numenius pheeopus. 



I have had considerable experience with the eggs of the 

 Kentish Plover, both in England and the Channel Islands, 

 and in my series there is not a single egg which could be 

 mistaken for those of either the Ringed or Lesser Ringed 

 Plovers. 



I have never taken the eggs of -^. duhia, but they are 

 well known to me, and I cannot understand any experienced 

 oologist confusing the eggs of the two species. To my mind 



