VANELLUS VULGARIS. 271 



Male. Above hair-brown ; forehead white, black patch ' on fore crown ; 

 rest of crown and nape buff ; black line through eye from bill to ear- 

 coverts ; a black patch on each side of breast, not forming a collar ; rest of 

 underparts white. 



Female. No black on fore crown, but that and crown uniform with the 

 back ; the patch on each side of breast same colour as back. Length 

 6 inches. 



293. Vanellus vulgaris *, Bechstein. The Peewit, Lapwing, 

 or Green Plover. 



Moorish. Biliat, El Thudi (the Jew). Spanish. Ave fria (cold 

 bird), Judia (Jewess). 



" This Plover occurs near Tangier in abundant flocks throughout 

 the winter months, arriving from the north during October and 

 November, crossing back again to Europe in February and 

 March. 



"The superstitious Arabs believe that these birds are Jews 

 changed into the shape of birds, and also believe that they still 

 retain all their Israelitish characteristics, even wearing the black 

 Hebrew skull-cap." Favier. Hence the name " El Thudi." 



We observed towards the end of April three or four pairs of 

 Peewits, which were nesting at the northern end of the lakes of 

 Ras el Doura. As we had not sufficient time to go further than 

 the commencement of these lakes, possibly many others were to 

 be found breeding still further south. The place where we saw 

 them was some eighty miles at the least to the south of Tangier. 

 On the Spanish side of the Straits very few, compared with their 

 numbers in winter, remain to breed in the marismas of the 

 Guadalquivir, where we found the nest with young on the 26th 

 of April. Curiously, none remain to breed about the Laguna de 

 la Janda, or, as far as could be ascertained, anywhere but in the 

 marisma. The majority of the Peewits arrive near Gibraltar 



* This is an instance of abolishing the long-used and distinctive synonym 

 (cristatug) for a vague one, because of two years' priority. 



