CHABADRIID^E ^EGIALITIS 363 



tion ; during the northern winter it is found along the coasts of the 

 Indian Ocean from Cape Town to the Bed Sea, including Madagas- 

 car, and thence to India, South China, the Malay Archipelago and 

 northern Australia. It was believed by Mr. Seebohm to breed in 

 Japan, Formosa and Hainan, but some uncertainty attaches to this 

 statement. 



In South Africa it has only been recorded on three occasions : 

 from Salt Eiver, nea Cape Town, by Layard ; from Port Elizabeth, 

 by Eickard ; and from Durban, in March, by Gordge. 



Habits. The Great Sand Plover is a shore bird never found 

 inland ; it is usually gregarious in small flocks and feeds on minute 

 Crustacea, worms and insects, which it finds about the sea-beach. 



725. ^gialitis asiatica. Caspian Plover. 



Charadrius asiaticus, Pall. Eeis. Buss. Beiclis ii, p. 715 (1773) ; Layard, 

 B. S. Aft: p. 299 (1867) ; Sutler, Feilden and Beid, Zool, 1882, pp. 

 341, 460 ; Holub $> Pelzeln, Orn. Siid-Afr. p. 241 (1882) ; Seebohm, 

 Geogr. Distr. Cliaradr. p. 144 (1888) ; Fleck, Journ. Ornitli. 1894, 

 p. 382 ; Sliellcy, B. Afr. i, p. 189 (1896) ; Beiclienow, Vog. Aft: i, 

 p. 167 (1900). 



Charadrius damarensis, Strickland, Contr. Ornitli. 1852, p. 158. 



Eudromias asiaticus, Harting, Ibis, 1870, p. 202, pi. 5; Ayres, Ibis 

 1871, p. 263, 1878, p. 410 ; Gurncy, in Andcrsson's B. Damaral. p. 271 

 (1872) ; Sharpc, cd, La-yard? 8 B. S. Afr. pp. 665, 855 (1884). 



yEgialitis asiatica, Ayrcs, Ibis, 1880, p. 267. 



Octhodromus asiaticus, Sharpc, Cat. B. M. xxiv, p. 230 (1896). 



Description. Adult in non-breeding plumage. Closely re- 

 sembling ^E. geoffroyi, but distinguished by the broader band of 

 pale brown across the breast, by its outer tail-feathers, which are 

 pale brown, edged with white and not pure white, by its under wing- 

 coverts which are pale brown edged and mottled with white, and 

 finally by its much smaller and slenderer bill, the terminal vault of 

 which never occupies half the length of the whole bill. 



Iris dusky-hazel ; bill black ; feet greenish-olive ; toes dusky. 



Length 8-5 ; wing 5'5 ; tail 2-1 ; culmen 0-75 ; tarsus 1-5. 



In the breeding-plumage the band across the chest is bright 

 chestnut, followed by a narrow black band. The young bird has 

 marked sandy edges to the feathers of the upper surface. 



Distribution. The Caspian Plover is said to breed on the 

 steppes of Central Asia, especially in the neighbourhood of the 



