CHARADRIIDJi: XIPHIDIOPTEBUS 349 



the outer scapulars (forming a patcb), bastard wing, primary coyerts 

 and wing-quills, except the first three, white ; wing-coverts and first 

 three primaries black, the latter white towards their bases ; rump 

 and upper tail-coverts white ; tail-feathers white for their basal, 

 black for their distal halves ; centre of the throat and under surface 

 of the body pure white throughout. 



Iris pale yellow ; bill black, the basal half clear citron-yellow ; 

 legs and feet grass-green ; claws black ; lappet about an inch in 

 length and rounded at the tip, dark citron-yellow, with a black spot 

 on the inner side ; a long, sharp-pointed black carpal spur about 

 0-7 long ; no hind toe. 



Length about 11-5 ; wing 8-25 ; tail 3-8 ; culmen 1-3 ; tarsus 2-8. 



Distribution. This is a tropical African Plover, which has but 

 seldom occurred south of the Zambesi. It is stated to have been 

 obtained by Verreaux on the Buffalo Kiver in Namaqualand, but 

 possibly this is an error. It is found all over West and East Africa, 

 from Liberia and Kordofan southwards. 



The following are localities : Transvaal Potchefstroom (Ayres) ; 

 Rhodesia near Victoria Falls (Holub) ; Portuguese East Africa 

 Senna, July, and Tete, August (Alexander), Urema Eiver in the 

 Beira district, October (S. A. Mus.) 



Habits. Captain Alexander gives the following account : " This 

 bird is found in pairs here and there along the river, haunting the 

 margin of the water where the banks are gently sloping and of a 

 sandy nature. At one's approach they jump up in a spasmodic 

 manner to fly out across the water. When startled they are noisy 

 birds, uttering their plaintive but not unmusical * whit whit,' repeated 

 rapidly in succession. They are often found at some distance from 

 water, haunting the sandy stretches of a dried-up river bed or moist 

 spots where the grass is short and succulent. In such places a 

 small party may regularly be observed towards evening fully occu- 

 pied in ' drawing ' worms. The flight of this species is strong and 

 buoyant, with a steady beat of wings. At dusk these Plovers often 

 become noisy, giving vent to plaintive ' whits.' ' 



Mr. Ayres' only specimen was shot in a garden in Potchefstroom 

 and was subsequently unfortunately lost. 



Mr. Millar found this bird abundant along the Pungwe and 

 Dingi-dingi Rivers in the Beira district in October. He readily 

 recognised them when in flight by the patch on the w r ing. A pair 

 were evidently nesting or had young along the river in the shingle, 

 but he was unable to find the nest. Subsequently he shot and 



