RED -CAPPED DOTTEREL. 169 



;also by the absence of black on the fore-head, lores, and a spot below the eye ; the 

 ear-coverts grey, the fore-head and a line over the eye white like the cheeks, throat, 

 and under-surface of body. 



One example, just assuming winter -plumage, still retains an indication of the 

 cinnamon-rufous collar on the hind-neck, the band on the fore-neck is more strongly 

 pronounced and is composed of rufous and grey feathers, the superciliary line buff ; 

 there is no black line across the fore-head, and the patch under the eye and on the 

 ear-coverts is rufous-brown. 



Nestling.- Unknown . 



Nest. A depression in the sand and fine shingle, on the borders of a lake. 



Eggs. Clutch, four ? In shape the egg is oval, very slightly pointed at one 

 end. Ground-colour pale stone, heavily marked at the larger end, and sparingly 

 on the smaller, with dark purplish-black and lavender spots ; and about the middle 

 of the shell there are some spots of pale greenish-yellow ; axis 40 mm., diameter 29. 



Breeding-season . June . 



Distribution and forms. Eastern Siberia, breeding in Tibet, migrating south- 

 ward to Australia in winter and accidental westward to Europe. No subspecies 

 yet determined. 



Genus LEUCOPOLIUS. 



Leucopolius Bonaparte, Comptes Rendus Acad. Sci. Paris, Vol. XLIIL, p. 417, Sept. 1st, 

 1856. Type (by tautonymy) : Charadrius niviirons Cuvier = C. marginatus Vieillot. 

 ^gialophilus Gould, Handb. Birds Austr., Vol. II., p. 234, (Dec.) 1865. Type (by original 

 designation) : Charadrius cantianus Latham = C. alexandrinus Linne. 



Smallest Plovers, with long slender Pluvialine bills, long wings, short tails 

 and legs, and weak feet. The bill is Pluvialine, and all black, about half the length 

 of the tarsus and equalling the middle toe in length. The wing has the first primary 

 longest. The tail is short and square. The legs are slender, and between the outer 

 and middle toe, near the base, is a distinct web. There is no hind-toe. 



117. Leucopolius ruficapillus. RED-CAPPED DOTTEREL. 



Gould, Vol. VI., pi. 17 (pt. xxin.), June 1st, 1846. Mathews, Vol. III., pt. 2, pi. 138, May 

 2nd, 1913. 



Charadrius ruficapillus Temminck et Laugier, Planch. Color. d'Ois., 8 e livr. (Vol. I., pi. 47, 



f. 2) (Vol. V., pi. 68), March 1821 : " Oceanie " = New South Wales. 



Charadrius marginatus Lesson, Diet, Sci. Nat. (Levrault), Vol. XLIL, p. 25, Sept, 23rd, 1826 : 



south coasts of New Holland = Victoria. 



Not of Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist, Nat., Vol. XVIII., p. 138, Dec. 26th, 1818. 



dSgialitis ? canus Gould, Synops. Birds Austr., pt. iv., App., p. 6, April 1838 : New South 



Wales. 



Charadrius ruficapillus tormenti Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 217, Jan. 31st, 1912 : 



Point Torment, North-west Australia. 



DISTRIBUTION. Australia generally and Tasmania. 



Adult male in summer -plumage. General colour above pale reddish-brown, 

 including the back, wings, scapulars, and long innermost secondaries ; bastard-wing, 

 primary -co verts and quills dark brown, the latter paler brown on the inner webs 

 .and the shafts white ; secondaries grey with the basal and apical portions white, 

 this colour increasing in extent on the inner ones ; upper tail-coverts and tail darker 

 than the back ; hinder crown, hind-neck, and sides of neck bright chestnut ; a black 

 band across the upper fore-head, which is continued backward over the eye ; ear- 

 coverts black, as also a patch on the sides of the neck ; fore-head, cheeks, throat, 

 and entire under-surface white, including the under wing-coverts, axillaries, and 

 under tail-coverts ; bill black, iris deep brown, tarsi and feet dull black. Total 

 length 164 mm.; culmen 14, wing 108, tail 43, tarsus 29. 



