164 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



Saunders only admits five occurrences to be authentic, most of 

 the specimens referred to this species proving to belong to the 

 small race of the Common Ringed Sand-Plover which visits our 

 southern coasts. The five specimens above alluded to are as 

 follows : One in the collection of the late Mr. Doubleday, from 

 Shoreham, in Sussex ; a second in Mr. Borrer's collection, from 

 Chichester Harbour ; a third in the collection of the late Mr. 

 Rodd, from Tresco, in the Scilly Islands ;.and two young speci- 

 mens shot by Mr. Mitford and Mr. J. E. Harting at Kingsbury 

 Reservoir. Mr. Borrer's specimen was procured in May, but 

 the others have occurred in August and October. A sixth 

 specimen is in the Seebohm collection in the British Museum, 

 being an adult female killed by Mr. H. Rogers at Freshwater, 

 in the Isle of Wight, in August. 



Range outside the British Islands. The Little Ringed Sand- 

 Plover is distributed over the greater part of the Old World, 

 nesting in the temperate parts of Europe and Asia, and winter- 

 ing in Africa, the Indian Peninsula, and the Malayan Archi- 

 pelago, extending even to New Guinea and the Islands of the 

 Bismarck Archipelago. The species has been obtained in the 

 Faeroes, and even in Iceland ; and it breeds sparingly in Scan- 

 dinavia, but plentifully in Germany and Poland in suitable 

 places, as well as in certain parts of France and the Medi- 

 terranean countries. It has been said to occur accidentally in 

 North America. 



Habits. According to Mr. Seebohm, the Little Ringed Sand- 

 Plover prefers the banks of rivers and inland sheets of water to 

 the sea-shore. On the latter it seems to be rarely met with. It 

 delights in the sandy beds of rivers, especially those which are 

 shallow and contain many sand-banks and dry pebbly stretches, 

 where it can find its food and rear its young. He found it not 

 uncommon on the banks of a half-dried-up river in Asia Minor, 

 between Smyrna and the site of the ancient Sardis. It is found 

 far inland, and occasionally frequents fallows and sandy plains 

 at a considerable distance from water. In its habits it very 

 closely resembles its congener, the Ringed Sand-Plover. Like 

 that species, it is usually seen running hither and thither on the 

 sands, close to the edge of the water, now and then taking short 

 flights just above the ground, or standing motionless for a few 



