THE GREAT STONE-PLOVER. 357 



It is spread over a considerable portion of Europe and North Africa, and 

 it occurs throughout Asia as far east as Burmah, not, however, extending 

 as far north as Siberia. 



This species frequents waste land, grassy plains and dry river-beds, and 

 is of a shy natnre. It feeds habitually on the ground, running with great 

 speed, and it is most active at night, at which time its wild notes are 

 frequently heard. It breeds in India, and probably also in Burmah, from 

 February to April, laying two or three eggs on the ground, pale buff 

 marked with brown. 



Genus ESACUS, Less. 



707. ESACUS RECURVIROSTRIS. 

 THE GREAT STONE-PLOVER. 



GEdicnemus recurvirostris, Cuv. Rtyne Anim. i. p. 500. Esacus recurvi- 

 rostris, Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 652 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 579 ; id. S. F. ii. 

 p. 182 ; Bl B. Burm. p. 152 ; Hume, S. F. v. p. 121 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi. 

 p. 458 ; Oates, S. F. vii. p. 50 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 112 ; Legge, Birds Ceylon, 

 p. 974; Oates, S. F. x. p. 238. 



Description. Male and female. A ring of feathers round the eye white; 

 a band of feathers over the eye and another under the eye, meeting both 

 in front and behind the eye, black ; forehead, lores, a streak under the 

 lower black band, chin and throat white ; a moustachial stripe black ; lesser 

 wing-coverts ashy brown, the feathers tipped with blackish ; the remaining 

 wing-coverts, the whole upper plumage, central tail-feathers, scapulars, 

 tertiaries and most of the secondaries pale grey ; tail-feathers, except the 

 centrals, brown with a broad band of white ; the first three primaries dark 

 brown with abroad band of white; the fourth and fifth all brown; the 

 sixth brown with the basal half of the inner web white ; the remaining 

 primaries white, with a broad band of brown across them; the earlier 

 secondaries all brown except the basal portion, which is whitish ; sides of 

 the breast grey ; remainder of the lower plumage yellowish white ; under 

 wing-coverts and axillaries white. 



Iris yellow ; edges of the eyelids, base of the bill and nostrils yellow ; 

 remainder of bill black ; legs plumbeous white ; claws black. 



Length 19 inches, tail 4'3, wing 9'9, tarsus 3'3, bill from gape 3'4. 



E. magnirostris probably occurs on the sea-coast ; and Mr. Davison is of 

 opinion that he once saw it on an island of the Mergui archipelago. It is 

 similar to E. recurvirostris in general coloration but is larger ; and one of 

 the characters by which it may be recognized is the colour of the sixth 



