^EGIALITIS 735 



being a depression in the ground sparingly lined with bents 

 and leaves, and the eggs, 4 in number, are deposited in June, 

 and are said to resemble those of dE. semipalmata, but are 

 larger and have a somewhat deeper ground-colour, in some 

 more olive, in others more buff. 



1024. SUBSP. ^EGIALITIS GEOFFROYI. 



^Egialitis geoffroyi (Wagl.), Syst. Av. Charadrius, No. 19 (1827) ; David 

 and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 426 ; Dresser, vii. p. 475, pis. 520 fig. 2, 

 521 ; (Sharpe), Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxiv. p. 217 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. 

 Birds, iv. p. 237 ; Charadrius leschenaulti, Less. Man. d'Orn. ii. 

 p. 322 (1828) ; Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 299. 



ad. (Syria). Forehead white ; crown and nape pale reddish brown, 

 the fore crown crossed by a black band ; upper parts dull sandy brown ; 

 quills blackish, some of the inner secondaries white on the outer web ; 

 from the base of the bill through the eye with the ear-coverts a black 

 streak ; a broad rusty red band across the breast ; rest of under parts, 

 axillaries, and under wing-coverts white ; upper flanks tinged with rusty 

 red ; bill blackish ; legs plumbeous grey ; iris dark brown. Culmen 1*0, 

 wing 5'7, tail 2'4, tarsus 1/5 inch. The female has the fore crown and 

 stripe through the eye brownish grey. In the winter both sexes have the 

 sides of the head pale ashy brown, the forehead, lores, chin, throat, and 

 under parts white, the breast tinged with pale rusty buff. 



Hal. South-eastern Europe ; Central Asia ; Japan and 

 China; wintering in Africa as far south as the Cape Colony 

 and Madagascar ; India, the Philippines, and Malay Archipelago 

 to Australia. 



Frequents the sea-coasts and the mouths of rivers, sand- 

 banks, coral reefs, &c., and is a shy and wary bird. It feeds 

 on worms, spawn, small insects, &c., and its note is a clear, 

 flute-like whistle. With regard to its breeding habits I find 

 nothing on record. An egg in the British Museum, said to 

 belong to this species, is figured (Cat. Birds' Eggs, Brit. Mus. ii. 

 pi. i. fig. 9), but I have great doubts as to its authenticity. 



1025. SUBSP. ^EGIALITIS PYRRHOTHORAX. 



^Egialitis pyrrhothorax, Gould, B. of E. iv. pi. 299 ; (Sharpe), Cat. B. 

 Br. Mus. xxiv. p. 226 ; ^E. mongolica, Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, 

 p. 238 (nee. Pall.). 



ad. (Yarkand). Differs from dS. mongola in having the upper parts 

 paler, the forehead entirely black with only a whitish spot in front of the 

 eye, and the pectoral band paler. Culmen 07, wing 4'95, tail 1-9, 

 tarsus 1-2 inch. 



