Mr. R. Swinhoe on Chinese Ornithology. 365 



p. 96) is nothing but this species in young plumage. The 

 market-men are unfortunately given to cutting off the claws 

 of rapacious birds, that they may pass together with Rooks 

 Jackdaws, Blue Magpies, Laughing Thrushes, &c. &c. for 

 gibier ; and if one is not sharp, one's servants are apt to serve 

 up as game some curious species. 



On the 26th March I was delighted to find a fine male 

 specimen of Gould's " Post-horse Dotterel/' Eudromias ve- 

 redus, in nearly complete summer plumage, hanging in the 

 market. This was also the first specimen of this species that 

 I had procured. Why it was so far advanced in summer suit, 

 when Sand-plovers generally are so late in changing, I can- 

 not make out, unless this species is an earlier breeder. I took 

 down the following notes from the fresh bird : — 



Eudromias veredus, c? . Length 9 inches. Wing 6*4, ex- 

 tending half an inch beyond the tail, and '7 longer than the 

 tertiaries. Tail 2*45, of twelve nearly equal feathers, the two 

 centrals - 15 longer. Bill deep olive-brown, blacker on the 

 terminal portion; length from forehead *98, from gape T25. 

 Eyelids greyish black. Legs light brownish flesh-colour ; feet 

 washed with grey, blackish on joints; claws black. Bare 

 tibia 1 inch; tarse 2; middle toe - 9, its claw *2. Throat and 

 forehead pure white. Nape, eyebrow, and cheeks whitish, 

 washed with buff and somewhat mottled and shaded with 

 olive-brown. (In full nuptial plumage the whole head, except 

 the crown, and neck become white ; at least this is so in Pere 

 David's specimen in museum at Pekin.) 



Dissection. Testes long ovate, about | inch long, and 

 white. Caeca long, thickening at ends. Gizzard small and 

 oval, with strong lateral muscles, containing only a few small 

 whitish worms, fragments of small mollusk-shells, and a few 

 small pebbles. 



I have fortunately a fine pair of Eudromias asiaticus, kindly 

 presented me by Dr. Leopold v. Schrenck, of St. Petersburg, 

 to compare with my Shanghai bird. The Russian specimens 

 are marked, the male in full summer plumage, " shot June 

 1853, on the river Syr-Parja," and the female in winter 

 plumage, "shot 30th January, 1858, on the river Syr-Parja." 



