^GIALITIS 361 



Habits. The Grey Plover is only a migrant to our shoreaJrom 

 the northern winter, and is almost always in winter or non-breeding 

 dress, though a bird in partial summer dress was found among Mr. 

 Andersson's collections from Damaraland. It occurs chiefly along 

 the tidal rivers, or where there are extensive mud flats left by the 

 receding tides ; here it may be seen, usually singly, though some- 

 times in pairs, running over the mud or even into the water with 

 great rapidity in search of small Crustacea, insects and worms, 

 which form its principal food. It is very wary and suspicious, 

 especially if it is pursued. Its flesh is very palatable. It is not 

 probable that it will ever be found breeding south of the Equator. 



Genus VIII. ^GIALITIS. 



Type. 



^Egialitis, Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 558 JE. hiaticola. 



Ochthodromus, Eeiclienb. Nat. Syst. Vog. p. 18 



(1852) M. wilsoni. 



Oxyechus, Beichenb. Nat. Syst. Vog. p. 18 (1852) ... M. vocifera. 



Eesembling Squatarola in all essential structural characters but 

 with no hind toe. In plumage the members of this genus have the 

 upper surface more or less uniform brown and the lower surface 

 white, the amount of black never exceeding a pectoral band. 



Some thirty species of shore-loving birds are included in this 

 genus ; some of these are migrants with considerable seasonal 

 changes of plumage, others are residents with very little variation 

 in this respect. The genus is cosmopolitan. Seven species, most of 

 them migrants from the north, are included in our fauna. 



Key of the Species. 



A. Larger, wing over 5-5. 



a. A brown patch on either side of the chest ; 



outer tail-feathers pure white jE. gcoffroiji, p. 362. 



b. A broad brown band across the chest ; outer 



tail-feathers pale brown edged with, white ... IE. asiatica, p. 363. 



B. Smaller, wing under 5-0. 



a. With two black bands across the chest JE. tricollaris, p. 367. 



b. With a single broad black band across the 



chest IE. liiaticola, p. 364. 



c. With a rufous band across the chest M. venusta, p. 370. 



d. No denned band across the chest. 



