Lapwings and Plovers 355 



of the median coverts, sides of the face and neck, as well as a collar around the 

 latter, are white, and the crown, throat, fore neck, breast, and legs black; the 

 wings are provided with a very long, sharp, jet-black spur. This species is 

 widely distributed from southern Europe through West Africa and East Africa as 

 far as Albert Edward Nyanza, being especially abundant in Egypt and Nubia. 

 It frequents the banks of rivers and lakes, as well as marshes and swamps, and 

 is often rather shy and difficult of approach, although living on terms of amiable 

 partnership with the crocodiles that now or once formed so conspicuous a 

 feature of the great rivers. It appears to be the bird mentioned by Herodotus 

 as entering the mouth of this great saurian for the purpose of feeding on leeches 

 and particles of food that remain about the teeth, the animal obligingly opening 

 its mouth for the purpose. It also apparently removes from the interstices of 

 the skin bugs, leeches, and other small animals that find a lodging place, and in 

 return for this hospitality warns the crocodile of approaching danger. Since the 

 time of this ancient account many other competent and undoubtedly truthful 

 observers have observed the phenomenon, among them Mr. J. M. Cook, whose 

 very circumstantial account lack of space forbids our quoting. Of the two 

 other species of this genus the one inhabiting Southeast and East Africa is known 

 as the Blacksmith Plover (PI. speciosus) from the peculiarly metallic, ringing 

 sound of its notes, which are uttered constantly while it is on the wing. The other 

 species is the Indian Spur-winged Lapwing (H. ventralis} of the Indian peninsula 

 and the Indo-Chinese countries. It is a noisy bird, frequenting the banks of 

 the larger rivers. 



Red-wattled Lapwing. The last of these birds to be noticed is the Red- 

 wattled Lapwing (Sarcogrammus indicus), which ranges from Arabia to Persia 

 and through the Indian peninsula to Ceylon. It is distinguished at once by the 

 red lappet or wattle that projects in front of the eye, the general plumage above 

 being brown, glossed with green, bronze, and reddish, the top of the head, 

 throat, and breast being black, and the rump, sides of the head and neck and tail 

 white, the latter crossed by a black band and the wings by a white bar; the length 

 is thirteen inches. It is a familiar and noisy bird, frequenting open spaces near 

 the water, singly, in pairs, or small flocks, its vernacular name, in imitation of 

 its cry, being Pity-to-do-it. It is cordially despised by all hunters, as it is con- 

 stantly giving the alarm to other game. The usually four eggs are deposited 

 after the manner of its relatives in a slight hollow; in color, they are yellowish 

 blotched with brown. 



True Plovers. The true Plovers form a considerable group of "small or 

 medium sized shore-birds, with rather short, somewhat Pigeon-like bill, large 

 rounded head, short neck, long and pointed wings, and moderately lengthened 

 legs, the hind toe usually absent." One of the larger and more widely spread 

 genera is jEgialitis, with upward of twenty species. They are small birds, 

 mostly between five and a half and eight inches in length, with a small, rather 

 slender bill, and short tail, the central pair of feathers being brown at the base 

 instead of white, as in the Lapwings, while the plumage of the upper parts is of 

 plain coloration. From the presence of a more or less well defined ring or collar 



