DROMADID^. 207 



coloured, with dark blotches and secondary purplish markings, and 

 measure about 2'15 by 1*6. 



1420. Esacus xnagnirostris. The Australian Stone-Plover. 



CEdicnemus magnirostris, Geoffr., Vieill. Nouv. Diet. tVHist. Nat. 



xxiii, p. 231 (1818) ; Seebohtn, Charadr. p. 89. 

 Esacus magnirostris, Gray, Gen. B. iii, p. 535 ; Hume, S. F. ii, 



p. 290; iv, p. 293 ; v, p. 121 ; id. N. $ E. p. 581 ; Hume # Dav. 



S, F. vi, p. 458 ; Hume, Cat. no. 858 bis ; Oates in Humes N. $ 



E. 2nd ed. iii, p. 334. 

 Orthorhamphus magnirostris, Salv. Ucc. Born. p. 312 ; Sharpe, Cat. 



B. M. xxiv, p. 22. 



This species is nearly allied to E. recurvirostris, but is larger, and 

 may be at once recognized by its very differently shaped bill, the 

 upper mandible being much higher and the culmen curved and 

 convex, not straight. The differences in coloration are that in the 

 present species the plumage is generally darker, the black bands 

 at the side of the head are broader, and the white narrower than 

 in E. recurvirostris, the lores being blackish almost throughout ; 

 the smaller wing-coverts are much darker brown, the white 

 baud succeeding them more distinct, the 6th and later primaries 

 almost wholly white, except a few patches of brown near the end, 

 the secondaries mostly grey ; the chin and throat are white, the 

 breast light brownish grey; the fore neck the same with dark 

 streaks ; the abdomen white, often tinged with rufous, and the 

 under tail-coverts rufous buff. 



Bill blackish or greenish horny ; base of upper mandible and 

 membrane covering the nostrils greenish yellow ; legs and feet 

 yellow (Hume) ; iris pale yellow (J. Gould). 



Length 22-5 ; tail 4-5 ; wing 11 ; tarsus 3*25 ; bill from gape 3'5. 



Distribution. Shores of Australia and the Malay Archipelago to 

 Borneo. Found on the sea-shore of the Andaman Islands and 

 Cocos, but not hitherto observed at the Nicobars. Davison saw 

 an Esacus in the Mergui Archipelago, but this might perhaps have 

 been E. recurvirostris, which has been noticed by Legge in Ceylon 

 on the shore, though it was more probably the present species. 



Habits, Sfc. Very similar to those of the preceding species, except 

 that this is a bird of the sea-shore. Eggs have been taken on the 

 Cocos and Andaman Islands, in March and April ; they resemble 

 those of E. recurvirostris, but are larger, measuring 2'6 by 1'75, 

 and are laid on the sand, a little above high-water mark. 



Family DROMADID.E. 



Schizorhinal ; nostrils pervious, perforated in the bill itself, 

 without any membranous opercuium ; no basipterygoid processes ; 

 cervical vertebrae 15. 



The nidification is peculiar. A single large white egg is laid in 

 a hole dug in the sand. 



