sEGIALITIS 739 



Hob. Europe generally, north to Spitsbergen; Africa in 

 winter south to Cape Colony ; Asia east to Dauria, north to 

 about 74 N. lat., and has occurred once or twice in India; 

 Greenland, and eastern North America. 



Frequents the sea coast, except that some resort to inland 

 warrens or heaths during the nesting season, and may generally 

 be seen on places left bare by the receding tide, or following 

 the receding waves in search of food, which consists of small 

 crustaceans, marine worms, aquatic insects, &c. Its cry, which 

 is often uttered as the bird runs along, is clear, loud, and 

 plaintive. Its flight is swift and even, and in winter it collects 

 in small flocks and often consorts with other waders. It breeds 

 in April, and again in June, two broods being reared in the 

 season, and deposits 4 eggs on the ground amongst pebbles, or 

 on sand, sometimes far from the sea, in which case the nest is 

 lined with pebbles or small stones, sometimes constructing, and 

 at others not making, a regular nest. The eggs are clay-yellow 

 or ochreous buff, boldly marked with blackish grey and lilac 

 underlying, and black surface spots and blotches, and measure 

 about 1-27 by TO. 



1030. LONG-BILLED ' RINGED PLOVER. 

 ^EGIALITIS PLACIDA. 



jEgialitis placida (Gray), Cat. Mamm. &c. Coll. Hodgs. 2nd ed. p. 70 

 (1863) ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 428 ; (Seebohm), B. Jap. 

 Emp. p. 307 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxiv. p. 262 ; Blanf. F. Brit. 

 Ind. Birds, iv. p. 244 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 825 ; ^Eg. hartingi, 

 Swinhoe, P.Z.S. 1870, p. 136, pi. xii. 



Ikaru-chidori, Ojun, Jap. 



$ ad. (Japan). Differs from jE. hiaticola in being larger, in having 

 the bill black and larger, no black at the base of the upper mandible, only 

 a dusky line from the base of the bill to the eye, no white inner 

 secondaries, and less white on the outer tail-feathers, the outermost on 

 each side with a broad subterminal black band ; bill blackish brown, the 

 base of the lower mandible orange-yellow ; legs and feet pale ochreous, 

 claws black ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'85, wing 5'7, tail 3'0, tarsus 1'35 

 inch. 



Hob. South-eastern Siberia, Japan, Corea, Manchuria, and 

 China ; west to North-eastern India, where it occurs in winter. 



In habits it does not differ from M. hiaticola, of which it is 

 the eastern representative. It breeds in Japan late in May, 

 nesting in stony places near rivers, and, according to Pere David, 



3 c 



