228 CHARADBIIDJ;. 



Genus MICROSARCOPS, Sharpe, 1896. 



The present genus has been proposed for a migratory Indian 

 Lapwing hitherto referred to Chettusia, from which it is distin- 

 guished by its transversely shielded tarsi and by having a lappet. 

 It comes near to Sarciophorus, but it possesses a small hind claw, 

 and is a more stoutly-built bird. 



1434. Microsarcops cinereits. The Grey -headed Lapiviny. 



Pluvianus cinereus, Blyth, J. A. S.*B. xi, p. 587 (1842). 

 Lobivanellus inornatus, Temm. $ Schl. Faun. Jap., Aves, p. 10t 



pi. 6:3 (1847). 

 Lobivanellus cinereiis, BIyth, Cat. p. 261 ; Irby, Ibis, 1861, p. 238 ; 



Seebohm, Charadr. p. 183. 

 Chettusia inornata, Jerdon, B. I, iii, p. 646 ; Godw.-Aust. J. A. 8. II. 



xxxix, pt. 2, p. 273. 



Chaetusia cinerea, tilyth, Ibis, 1867, p. 165. 

 Chettusia cinerea, Stanford, Ibis, 1870, p. 470 ; Humefy Oatcs, R. F. 



iii, p. 180 ; Blyth 8f Wald. Birds Burm. p. 152 ; Hume, S. F. \, 



p. 347 ; Hume $ Dav. 8. F. vi, p. 456; Cripps, S. F vii, p. 300: 



Hume, ibid. p. 483 ; id. Cat. no. 854 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 333 ; 



Gates, B. B. ii, p. 372 ; id. Ibis, 1888, p. 73 ; Hume, >$'. F. xi, 



p. 315. 

 Microsarcops ciuereus, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxiv ; p. 133. 



Coloration. Head, neck, and upper breast ashy grey, slightly 

 washed with brown on crown and hind neck, the grey ending 

 with a broad blackish border on the breast; back, scapulars, and 

 tertiaries light brown, wing-coverts the same, but paler ; primary- 

 coverts and primaries black, greater secondary coverts and second- 

 aries white ; rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail white, middle tail- 

 feathers with a broad black subterminal band, the tips and a space 

 before the black band brown, the black baud diminishes in the outer 

 feathers, which are white-tipped ; outermost feathers often pure 

 white ; lower plumage from breast white. 



In young birds the head and neck are brown, the cbin white, 

 and there is no black band across the breast. 



Terminal third of bill black ; base of bill, lappets, and edges of 

 eyelids yellow ; irides red ; legs and toes dull yellow, claws black 

 (Gates). 



Length 14'5 ; tail 4'5 ; wing 9'5 ; tarsus 3 ; bill from gape 1/6. 



Distribution. A winter visitor to Bengal, Assam, Manipur, and 

 Burma, passing the summer and breeding in Mongolia, IS T . China, 

 Corea, and Japan. This species has been obtained in the Aixla- 

 rnans. Irby reported it from Oudh, but perhaps, as Reid has 

 shown, may have mistaken Chettusia leucura for it. 



Habits, <$fc. This Lapwing is usually found in small or large 

 flocks about marshes. It lives on various insects, and has a call 

 somewhat like that of Vanellus cristatus. 



