CASPIAN PLOVEE 213 



Adult female nuptial. Similar to the male plumage, 

 but duller in shade and the black on the abdomen is less 

 developed. 



Adult winter, male and female. Somewhat resembles 

 the nuptial plumage, but the top of the head is brown, and 

 the breast and abdomen, isabelline white. 



Immature, male and female. Feathers of top of head, 

 back, scapulars, wings, and hind-neck, edged with reddish- 

 buff ; breast, mottled greyish-brown ; white crescent very 

 indistinct ; lower breast and abdomen, white. 



BEAK. Blackish. 



FEET. Yellow. 



IEIDES. Brown. 



AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 



TOTAL LENGTH ... ... ... 9 in. 



WING ... ... ... 6 ,, 



BEAK ... ... ... ... 0*6 ,, 



TAKSO-METATAESUS ... ... 1*3 ,, 



EGG .. 1-6 X 1*1 in. 



CASPIAN PLOYER. JEgialitis asiatica (Pallas). 



Coloured Figures. Dresser, ' Birds of Europe,' vol. vii, pis. 520 

 fig. 1, 522; Lilford, ' Coloured Figures,' vol. v, pi. 9. 



A single instance of the occurrence of this Oriental 

 species entitles it to be placed in the British Avifauna. It is 

 an extremely rare and accidental visitor, which in a few 

 instances wanders westward on migration. 



The specimen above referred to, was captured in a 

 garden on the North Denes, at Great Yarmouth, on May 

 22nd, 1890. It was exhibited by Mr. Southwell before the 

 Zoological Society (Proc. Zool. Soc., 1890, p. 461), and 

 proved to be an adult male. It is now preserved in the 

 Norwich Museum. A second bird of the same species 

 accompanied it but was not secured. 



DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 



PLUMAGE. Adult male nuptial. Forehead and cheeks, 

 white; upper breast, reddish-brown, forming a broad band 



