CHARADBIN^E. 327 



a few, more or less raised and swollen at the tip ; noj?trils,.jplaced 

 in a long groove.; wings moderately long, and pointed ; tail usuaL- 

 ly~shorf ; tarsi long, reticulated in most, or scutellate near the 

 feet only ; toes usually short, connected at the base by a 

 membrane ; hind-toe minute or wanting. 



SUB-FAMILY, Charadrinae. 



Bill short, somewhat weak, slightly enlarged above at the tip ; 

 tarsi shorter than in the next two families and more reticulated ; 

 wings ' long and much pointed ; first quill usually longest ; tail 

 short, nearly even ; hind-toe generally wanting. 3 



GENUS, Squatarola, Cuvier. 



Bill enlarged at the tip, both above and below ; nasal groove 

 short ; a very minute hind-toe present, provided with a rudimen- 

 tary claw ; otherwise as in Gharadrius. 



Squatarola helvetica, Lin. 



844. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 635 ; Butler, Guzerat ; 

 Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 11 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. 

 IX, p, 425 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 224. 



THE GREY PLOVER. 



Length, 12; wing, 8; tail, 3'25 ; tarsus, 2; bill at front, 

 1-25. 



Bill black ; irides dusky-brown ; feet blackish-grey. 



In winter plumage, forehead and chin white ; streak over the 

 eyes, forepart of the neck, sides of the breast and flanks, white, 

 variegated with spots of brown and ash color ; head and all the 

 upper parts of the body dusky-brown, the feathers edged and 

 tipped with greyish-white ; belly, abdomen, thighs and upper 

 tail-coverts, pure white ; beneath the wing some long black 

 feathers arising from the axillae ; tail white, towards the tip reddish, 

 with transverse brown bars which become paler and less numerous 

 on the lateral feathers. 



In summer plumage the forehead, lores, throat, and whole 

 lower surface become deep black, edged white on the forehead 

 and sides of the neck, and the upper plumage is brown, more or 

 less barred with black and white. 



The young birds differ from the winter plumage only in having 

 the spots on the breast and flanks larger and paler, and the 

 upper parts greyish with white spots. 



The Grey Plover is a cold weather visitant all along the sea- 

 coast, and is particularly abundant about the Kurrachee Harbour. 



GENUS, Charadrius, Lin. 



Bill straight, short, compressed, swollen at the tip ; legs 

 moderate ; wings long, pointed, first quill longest ; tail short. 



