or little-known Limicolse. 265 



British Museum and other collections have enabled me to fill 

 up blanks along the coast-line, and supply, as it were, a con- 

 tinuous chain of localities from the N.W. via the Cape to the 

 N.E. Perhaps the most inland locality for the species, with 

 which I am acquainted, is Kordofan, where it was met with 

 by Mr. Petherick, as recorded by the late Mr. Strickland {I. c.) . 

 Mr. Andersson found it not uncommon in Daniaraland, but 

 did not think that it nested there. It was to be seen in flocks 

 often composed of a considerable number of individuals, and 

 feeding on the small insects which are to be found in the 

 moist and humid localities to which it is partial. At some 

 seasons he found it very abundant at Objimbinque, but he did 

 not recollect ever to have observed it on the sea-shore. Further 

 south this little Plover is common about the chain of lagoons 

 formed by the Salt River, and along the sea-shore near Cape 

 Tonen. Mr. Layard has also seen it in September on the 

 rocks at Green Point and on Robben Island ; and it is abun- 

 dant near ZoetendaFs Vley. In the Trans- Vaal territory, Mr. 

 Ayres says (/. c), the species remains throughout the summer, 

 and breeds. He observed it to frequent the muddy flats, run- 

 ning with considerable swiftness, stopping suddenly and bob- 

 bing the head as many of the Plovers do. He describes the 

 colours of the soft parts thus : — " Eye large, iris very dark ; 

 bill black , tarsi and feet ashy black." 



This species is not included by Dr. Kirk in his notice of 

 the birds of the Zambesi region (Ibis, 1864, pp. 331, 332); and 

 Dr. Finsch says (Trans. Zool. Soc. 1870, vii. p. 297) " it seems 

 not to have been observed on the Red Sea •" but this must be 

 accidental, because not only does it occur in Abyssinia, but 

 Mr. Jesse procured a specimen at Zoulla, which borders upon 

 the Red- Sea coast*. Moreover it is plentiful throughout Egypt 

 and Nubia, as we are informed by Dr. Ruppell (Syst. Uebers. 

 p. 118), Hr. v. Heuglin (Orn. N. O. Afr. p. 1035), and Capt. 

 Shelley (Birds of Egypt, p. 239), "frequenting similar loca- 



* Since the above was in type, I have seen Mr. Jesse's specimen in the 

 collection of Viscount Walden, who agrees with me in referring it to the 

 young of JE. marginatum (Vieillot) ( Ch. nivifrons of Cuvier and Lesson), 

 and not to JE. pecuarius, as given by Dr. Finsch, he. 



