236 



similar changes of plumnge in summer and winter. The distinc- 

 tion, which is accepted by almost all ornithologists, shows in fact 

 how artificial many of the bird genera are. 



1441. Squatarola helvetica. The Grey Plover. 



Tringa helvetica, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 250 (1766). 



Squatarola helvetica, Blytn, Cat. p. 2(52 ; Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 635 ; 

 Jlitme, S. F. i, p. 228 ; ii, p. 287 ; Adam, S. F. ii, p. 338 ; Walden, 

 Ibis, 1874, p. 146; Blyth fy Wald, Birds Burm. p. 153; Hume, 

 S, F. iv, p. 11 ; Armstrong, ibid. p. 338 ; Blanf. East. Persia, ii, 



Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 327 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxiv, p. 182. 

 Barra batan, H. 



Coloration. In winter the upper plumage of adults is dark brown, 

 the feathers edged paler ; forehead, lores, and sides of head and neck 

 white streaked with brown ; wing-coverts fringed and indented 

 with white ; primary-coverts, primaries, and secondaries blackish 

 brown, terminal half of shafts of primaries white except near the tip, 

 and the adjoining portion of the outer web white in all quills after 

 the first four, part of inner web in all quills white towards base ; 

 upper tail-coverts white, with a few dark bars ; tail white, barred 

 with dark brown, outer pair of rectrices generally unbarred ; lower 

 parts white, fore neck and breast streaked and spotted with dark 

 brown ; axillaries black. 



In summer the lower parts, from the chin to the middle of the 

 abdomen, are black ; upper parts black, barred and spotted with 

 white ; lower abdomen and under tail-coverts white. 



Young birds are spotted with pale golden-buff above. 



Bill black; irides dusky brown; legs and feet blackish grey 

 (Jerdon) ; feet black (Armstrong). 



Length 12 ; tail 2-9 ; wing 8 ; tarsus 1*8 ; bill from gape 1'4. 



Distribution. Almost world-wide. The Grey Plover breeds in 

 the far North and is a winter visitor to India, Ceylon, and Burma, 

 chiefly occurring on and near sea-coasts, but sometimes inland 

 about rivers and marshes. 



J/'tbits, <S)'c. Very "similar to those of Charadrius fulvus and 

 C.pluvia-lis, except that the Grey Plover is more a bird of the sea- 

 coast. 



Genus JEGIALITIS, Boie, 1822. 



It appears best to class together the Sand-Plovers, Dotterels, 

 and Ringed Plovers. At first sight the Sand-Plovers and Dotterels 

 appear to be distinguished by having a breeding- dress different 

 from the winter plumage ; but there is so complete a passage from 

 forms with a distinct nuptial garb to those which have none, 

 through species like the Kentish Plover in which the change 

 is slight, that it appears best to keep all in one genus. 



