240 



throughout ; tail-feathers brown, darker near the end and tipped 

 white (the dark subtermiual band is more distinct in summer 

 plumage) ; fore neck and breast brown ; lower breast and abdomen 

 white ; wing-lining brown and white mixed ; axillaries white. 



In summer plumage the fore neck and upper breast are chestnut, 

 passing into blackish on the lower border. 



Young birds have dull rufous edges to the upper plumage. 



Bill black ; iris dusky hazel ; feet greenish olive (Emm Pacha). 



Length 7*5 ; tail 2 ; wing 5'5 ; tarsus 1*6 ; bill from gape '9. 



Distribution. This Sand-Plover breeds on the Caspian and Aral 

 Seas and in Central Asia, and pass^ the winter in Africa, as far 

 south as Cape Colony. It is also found in the Persian Gulf. 

 The only specimen yet recorded in India was shot by Viclal near 

 Eatnagiri. The present species is an inhabitant of sandy plains as 

 much as of sea-coasts, or may even prefer the former. 



1445. JEgialitis vereda. The Eastern Dotterel. 



Charadrius veredus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1848, p. 38 j Seebohm, Charadr. 



p. 116. 

 Eudromias veredus, Hat-tint/, 7/>/.s. 1870, p. 209, pi. vi ; Ball, 



J. A. S. B. xli, pt. 2, p. 288 ; id. S. F. i, p. 83 ; Hume, S. F. ii, 



p. 288 ; id. Cat. no. 845 ter. 

 Ochthodromus veredus, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxiv, p. 232. 



This Plover is much like JE. asiatica, but is larger, with less 

 distinct supercilia and with the hind neck always paler than the 

 crown or back ; the whole wing-lining and axillaries are light 

 brown. 



In summer plumage the whole head and neck except the occiput 

 and nape, which remain brown, become white ; this passes into 

 rufons on the fore neck, and this again into chestnut on the 

 breast and sides of the breast, there being again a passage from, 

 the chestnut into the black band that terminates it posteriorly ; 

 lower breast and abdomen white. 



In young birds there are rufous fringes to the upper plumage 

 and dark centres to the brown feathers of the breast. 



Bill deep olive-brown ; legs light brownish flesh-colour ; feet 

 washed with grey, blackish on joints (Swinhoe). 



Length 9*5; tail 2*4; wing6'5; tarsus 1*8 ; bill from gape 1-05. 



Distribution. This species breeds in Northern China and Mon- 

 golia, and spends the winter in the Malay Peninsula and Australia. 

 A solitary specimen was obtained at the Andamans by Dr. G. E. 

 Dobson in 1872, and identified by Ball. 



1446. jEgialitis alexandrina. The Kentish Plover. 



Charadrius alexandrinus, Linn. Si/st. Nat. i, p. 253 (1766). 

 Charadrius cantianus, Lath. Ind. Om. Suppl. p. Ixvi (1801) ; Seebohm, 



Charadr. p. 168. 



Hiaticula cantiana, Blyth, Cat. p. 263. 

 jEgialitis cantianus, Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 640 ; Armstrong, S. F. iv, 



p. 340 ; Hume, ibid. p. 464 ; Butler. S. F. v, p. 290 ; Hume $ Dnr. 



S. F. vi, p. 456 ; Hume, S. F. vii, p. 227 ; id. Cat. no. 848 ; Vidal, 



