165 



ground. During incubation the male keeps guard at some distance 

 from the nest, and utters a warning cry at the approach of an intruder ; 

 the female instantly flies from the nest, but in rising renders herself 

 very conspicuous. When the nest is approached the parent birds hover 

 about, occasionally fluttering as if wounded, all the time keeping up a 

 clamour of hurried angry notes somewhat resembling the barking cries 

 of the Black-collared Stilt. 



Fain. XLVII. CHARADRIIDjE, OR PLOVERS. 



Plovers are found all over the world's surface and in every degree of 

 latitude, and some of the species have an almost cosmopolitan distri- 

 bution. In the Neotropical Region about twenty Plovers are known, 

 of which seven are found within our limits. Three of these are 

 Antarctic species that visit Argentina during the winter, one arrives in 

 the opposite season from the north, and the other three are more or less 

 abundant residents. 



386. VANELLUS CAYENNENSIS (Om.). 

 (CAYENNE LAPWING.) 



Vanellus cayennensis, Burin. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 502 ; Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. 

 p. 142 j iid. P. Z. S. 1868, p. 144 (Buenos Ayres) ; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, 

 p. 42 (Chupat), p. 196 (Buenos Ayres), et 1878, p. 402 (Centr. Patagonia) ; 

 Gibson, Ibis, 1880, p. 161 (Buenos Ayres) : Barrows, Auk, 1884, p. 278 

 (Entrerios, Pampas) ; Seebohm, Plovers, p. 216. Philomachus cayanus, 

 Darwin, ZooL Voy. i Beagle ,' iii. p. 127. 



Description. Wings with a large yellow spine. Above grey; broad front 

 and thin vertical crest black ; a patch on the scapulars bronzy purplish ; upper 

 tail-coverts white ; primaries purplish black ; greater coverts pure white, passing 

 into greyish on the secondaries ; lesser wing- coverts bronzy green ; tail basal 

 half white, apical half purplish black tipped with white : beneath, chin, line 

 down the middle of the throat and breast shining black ; sides of neck grey, 

 passing into white on the face ; abdomen and under wing-coverts pure white ; 

 bill red, with black tip ; feet flesh-colour : whole length 13-0 inches, wing 8-2, 

 tail 4'2, tarsus 3*1. Female similar. 



Hab. Eastern South America. 



The Lapwing of La Plata is considerably larger than the well-known 

 Lapwing of the Old World, but closely resembles that bird in the 

 general colour of the plumage, in the long, slender, black crest, and in 

 general appearance. Throughout the Argentine country it is called 



