736 ^GIALITIS 



Hob. Kirghis Steppes, Central Asia east to Tibet ; wintering 

 in East Africa, India, and the Malay Peninsula and Islands. 



In habits it does not differ from ^E. geoffroyi. 



1026. CASPIAN PLOVER. 

 ^GIALITIS ASIATICA. 



jEgialitis asiatica (Pall.), Reis. Russ. Reichs. ii. p. 715 (1773) ; Naum. 

 xiii. p. 225, Taf. 386, figs. 1, 2 ; Dresser, vii. p. 479, pis. 520 fig. 1, 

 522 ; (Sharpe), Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxiv. p. 230 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. 

 Birds, iv. p. 239 ; Saunders, p. 537 ; Lilford, v. p. 27, pi. 9 ; 

 Poynting, p. 23, pi. 5 ; ^E. caspia (Pall.), Zoogr. Ross. As. ii. 

 p. 136, tab. Iviii. (1811). 



ad. (Kirghis Steppes). Forehead, a broad line over the eye, sides of 

 head, chin, and throat white ; upper parts hair-brown, the scapulars 

 margined with ochreous ; quills blackish brown ; tail dark hair-brown, 

 most of the feathers tipped with white ; a broad pectoral band rich rust- 

 red bordered above and below with black ; rest of under parts and 

 axillaries pure white ; bill blackish ; legs ochreous yellow ; iris hazel. 

 Culmen 1*0, wing 5*62, tail 2*1, tarsus 1*6. The female is rather paler 

 and duller in colour, and the pectoral band is greyish brown tinged with 

 rufous. In winter both sexes are like the female in summer, but have the 

 pectoral band paler, greyer, and less distinct. Young birds have the 

 feathers on the upper parts margined with ochreous buff or bufFy white, 

 and almost lack the pectoral band. 



Hob. Transcaspia and Central Asia ; Africa as far south as 

 the Cape Colony in winter ; has once been obtained in India ; 

 a straggler to Europe west of the Volga, having been twice 

 obtained in Heligoland, once in England, and once in Italy. 



Frequents sandy localities, chiefly inland, and the desert 

 steppes, and in general habits does not appreciably differ from 

 its allies. It breeds in the Kirghis steppes, on the eastern 

 shores of the Caspian and in Turkestan, and deposits in May, 

 in a mere depression on the ground, 3 eggs, which are ochreous 

 in ground-colour, boldly blotched with blackish brown, and 

 measure about 1'45 by 1*02. 



1027. EASTERN DOTTEREL. 

 JEGIALITIS VEREDA. 



jEgialitis vereda (Gould), P.Z.S. 1848, p. 38 ; id. B. of Austr. vi. pi. 14 ; 

 (David and Oust.), Ois. Chine, p. 425, pi. 120 ; (Sharpe), Cat. B. Br. 

 Mus. xxiv. p. 232 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iv. p. 240. 



