138 PTERYLOGRAPHY. 



surface of the toes with numerous small half-rings of equal size. The hinder toe is of moderate 

 size, and touches the ground. BURM.] 



[12. The pterylosis of Hamatopus ostralegus, which Nitzsch had not investigated, appeared 

 to me, on account of the near affinity of this bird to Chionis, to require a more exact consideration ; 

 and I found it to be perfectly similar, all the tracts, especially, being equally close and strong, 

 with the exception of the posterior part of the dorsal tract, which is weak and has a narrow longi- 

 tudinal space, reaching to the caudal pit. The outer branch and ventral part of the inferior tract 

 are very broad, and consist of from six to eight feathers in each oblique row. The axillary tracts 

 are only three feathers in breadth, and are united in front to the outer branch of the inferior tract 

 by a narrow band. The long lumbar tracts are perfectly free. In the wing I found twenty- 

 nine remiges ; the twenty-sixth is situated at the elbow, and is of equal length with the third 

 primary. The large oil-gland was furnished with a circlet of contour-feathers, and on its mamilla 

 there were numerous grey oil-feathers. The tail bore twelve rectrices. BURM.] 



13. Strepsilas interpres. The contour-plumage is almost exactly as in Tringa platyrliyncha, 

 but the main stem of the inferior tract is dilated somewhat more outwardly on the ventral surface, 

 and the branches of the fork of the anterior dorsal tract are narrower, although the other tract- 

 bands are on the whole somewhat broader and stronger. In the wing I counted twenty-five 

 remiges, and in the tail twelve rectrices. 



14. Charadrius. The representation of the pterylosis of C. pluvialis, given in Plate IX, 

 figs. 8 and 9, shows that this genus possesses all the characters of the family, and, as regards 

 subordinate differences, belongs to that group in the members of which the lateral neck-spaces 

 and the inferior space extend up to the head. A greater peculiarity is to be found in the short 

 furcation of the hinder part of the dorsal tract, and the long, narrow form of the uropygial band of 

 this portion, from which the rather strong lumbar tracts are far removed. In the species 

 examined, such as C. minor, hiaticula, pluvialis, and morinellus, I found from twenty-five to 

 twenty-six remiges, among which, in C. morinellus, the first secondary is remarkably broad, 

 and is obliquely and sinuously truncated at the end, whilst the first primary has a singularly 

 thick shaft. The Lapwing (C. vanellus) also presents precisely the same characters as the other 

 Plovers ; but C. cedicnemus (CEdicnemus crepitans, TEMM.) has. twenty-nine remiges, and, if I have 

 observed correctly, a more sparse and scattered plumage on the uropygial band. All the species 

 above mentioned possess twelve rectrices. 



In this genus I also examined the nestling-plumage in the case of the Common Peewit 

 (C. vanellus) ; and it appeared to be exactly analogous to that of the other Waders. The nestling- 

 down here also consists of downy barbs, which are seated upon the first perfected barbs of all 

 the contour-feathers, even upon the merely downy ones on the sides of the trunk, and subse- 

 quently fall off. The upper extremities of these deciduous nestling down-feathers have rather 

 long hair-like points, which are differently coloured, and produce the well-known markings of the 

 young nestlings. As this is similar in all the Scolopacina, this structure of the nestling-coat 

 appears to belong to the whole family. 



15. Tachydromus isabellinus is distinguished from Charadrius only in having the hinder 

 part of the dorsal tract more deeply divided as far as the caudal pit, and the axillary tracts very 

 broad, rounded off posteriorly, and united anteriorly to the commencement of the pectoral 

 branch of the inferior tract by a narrow band. The number of remiges amounts to twenty-seven 

 or twenty-eight. 



