598 HEMATOPODID^E. 



to the front and below the eye on each side joining the black streak from 

 the lower mandible, and getting lost on the neck, whence springs a black 

 demicollar not extending on the upper surface of the neck, which, like the 

 head, is white with dark streaks ; back of neck white, extending down the 

 sides between the black demicollar and sides of the breast ; chin white ; 

 throat and breast deep black ; upper back and scapulars black, the feathers 

 broadly edged and tipped with red rust colour ; some wholly so, especially 

 the scapulars; lesser and median wing coverts black, broadly edged 

 and tipped with bright rust colour ; the tips of the greater or secondary 

 coverts white, forming a wing band ; quills black, the inner webs, and part 

 of the outer webs of the last two or three basally white ; secondaries like the 

 quills, but broadly white on their inner webs, and also narrowly tipped white ; 

 tertials dark brown, edged and tipped with rusty ; back, entire lower surface 

 below the breast, and upper tail coverts white ; rump with a patch of black; 

 tail as in the winter plumage ; irides deep brown ; legs orange yellow. 



Length. 8 to 8-5 inches; wing 6 ; tail 2-5. 



Hab. India generally, and Ceylon along the sea shores, and sometimes 

 inland along the banks of large rivers. Its geographical range is very wide, 

 being found in Europe, America, and Africa, and throughout Asia, in suitable 

 localities. In Sind it is extremely common in the Kurrachee harbour and at 

 the mouths of the Indus. It occurs also on the Sambhur lake, and on the 

 banks of the river at Poona, in the Deccan ; also on the Beloochistan Coast 

 and in the Persian Gulf. 



Gen. Dromas. Payk. 



Bill long, lower mandible strongly angulated ; tarsus long ; wings reach 

 beyond the tip of the tail ; feet webbed ; hind toe long and slender. 



1275. Dromas ardeola, PqykL, Handlist Ac. Vet. Stockhlm.t. 8; 

 Jard. and Selby, III. Orn. pi. 157 ; Jerd., B. Ind. iii. p. 658 ; Sir. F. ii. 

 p. 293; vii. p. 186; viii. p. 383; Murray , Hdbk., Zool., fyc., Sind, p. 212; 

 id., Vert. ZooL Sind, p. 234; Legge, B. Ceylon, p. 986. The CRAB PLOVER. 



Whole head, neck all round, chin, throat, breast, entire lower parts, back, 

 upper and lower tail coverts and upper tertials white ; generally a dark loreal 

 spot ; mantle and interscapulars black ; primaries and secondaries black, their 

 inner webs white ; greater wing coverts black ; tail reddish ashy, as also are 

 some of the tertials near their tips ; bill black, 2*5 inches in length ; irides 

 brown. 



Length. 15 to 15*5 inches; wing 875 to 9; tail 2*5. 



Hab. Indian coasts, Ceylon, Africa, Red Sea, Seychelles, Madagascar, 

 Beloochistan Coast and the Persian Gulf. Common in Sind in the Kurrachee 



