196 THE RINGED PLOVER. 



Octhodromus again is in part founded upon the summer band of 

 cinnamon across the chest and the bill which is stouter than in 

 JEgialitis, this is again unsatisfactory since the bill is no stouter 

 than that of C. Pluvalis. If the separation of Charadrius from 

 SEgialitis, solely on the ground of the summer plumage, is not 

 ultimately held good and SEgialitis falls, Octhodromus must fall 

 too. Eudromius again is separated largely by plumage, but its 

 bill is shorter than the bill of Oxyechus, and it is a heavier built 

 bird than JEgialitis ; its tarsi are shorter than that genus, and the 

 bare part of the tibia is less extended. Oxyechus is defined as 

 the same characters as jEgialitis, but the tail is wedge-shaped 

 and longer than half the length of the wing, whilst in ^Egialitis 

 the tail is square and shorter than the dimension referred to. 

 We should welcome a return to the following simplified classi- 

 fication of our Group A. : 



(i). Hind toe present .. .. Squatarola. 



Hind toe absent . . . . 2. 



(2). Tail wedge-shaped . . . . Oxyechus. 



Tail not wedge-shaped . . Charadrius. 



The last genus would then include A. dubius, A. hiaticola, A. 

 alexandrina, E. morinellus, 0. asiaticus, C. pluvialis, and C. 

 dominions, which to our mind is a much more useful and much 

 more natural classification. However, as we said before, we put 

 forward these opinions with the greatest diffidence, as Mr. R. 

 Bowdler-Sharpe in his catalogue of the Birds in the British 

 Museum, Vol. XXIV. (10 May, 1896), keeps these genera 

 distinct. The genus, SEgialitis, then, as at present constituted, is 

 distinguished from Squatarola by the absence of the hind toe, 

 from Charadrius by its constant chest band, from Octhodromus by 

 its slighter and shorter bill, from Oxyechus by its square tail, and 

 from Eudromius by its slighter build and less fully feathered tibia. 



The genus, JEgialitis, in Britain, contains three species, viz., 

 hiaticola (the type of the genus), alexandrina and dubia. The 

 species are distinguished as follows : 



i. Black band on fore neck complete . . 2. 



Black band on fore neck incomplete . . alexandrina. 



