﻿Lieut. 
  H. 
  E. 
  Barnes 
  on 
  the 
  Birds 
  of 
  Aden. 
  109 
  

  

  running 
  rapidly 
  along 
  the 
  beach, 
  occasionally 
  stopping, 
  for 
  

   no 
  purpose 
  that 
  I 
  could 
  see 
  except 
  to 
  stretch 
  out 
  its 
  neck 
  and 
  

   spread 
  its 
  wings, 
  and 
  just 
  as 
  suddenly 
  starting 
  off 
  again. 
  

  

  I 
  think 
  this 
  bird 
  was 
  feeding 
  on 
  small 
  shrimps, 
  the 
  sea 
  at 
  

   this 
  place 
  being 
  simply 
  swarming 
  with 
  them 
  ; 
  so 
  much 
  so 
  

   that 
  a 
  couple 
  of 
  Arabs, 
  with 
  a 
  small 
  dhotie 
  (sheet), 
  caught 
  

   over 
  a 
  bushel 
  at 
  a 
  time, 
  by 
  simply 
  holding 
  the 
  corners 
  and 
  

   dragging 
  it 
  through 
  the 
  water 
  for 
  a 
  yard 
  or 
  so. 
  

  

  80. 
  Squatarola 
  helvetica 
  (Linn.). 
  

  

  The 
  Grey 
  Plover 
  occurs 
  during 
  the 
  cold 
  season 
  in 
  

   moderate-sized 
  flocks. 
  They 
  are 
  of 
  course 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  

   sea-shore, 
  very 
  rarely 
  coming 
  any 
  great 
  distance 
  inland. 
  They 
  

   seem 
  always 
  to 
  keep 
  in 
  the 
  open, 
  and, 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  excessively 
  

   wary, 
  are 
  difficult 
  to 
  shoot. 
  

  

  One 
  shot 
  in 
  December 
  on 
  the 
  beach 
  at 
  Goldmore 
  Valley 
  

   measured 
  as 
  folloAvs 
  : 
  — 
  Length 
  11*75 
  inches, 
  expanse 
  24, 
  

   wing 
  7'7, 
  tarsus 
  1*7, 
  tail 
  2'9, 
  bill 
  at 
  front 
  \'Z, 
  bill 
  at 
  gape 
  

   ] 
  '3. 
  Bill, 
  legs, 
  and 
  feet 
  black 
  ; 
  iris 
  brown. 
  

  

  All 
  the 
  birds 
  obtained 
  were 
  in 
  winter 
  plumage. 
  

  

  81. 
  Charadrius 
  PLUviALis, 
  Linn. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  never 
  met 
  with 
  the 
  Golden 
  Plover 
  at 
  Aden 
  ; 
  twice 
  

   I 
  have 
  had 
  reputed 
  birds 
  sent 
  me, 
  but 
  on 
  both 
  occasions 
  I 
  

   found 
  them 
  to 
  be 
  Grey 
  Plovers. 
  

  

  Major 
  Yerbury 
  says, 
  " 
  The 
  Golden 
  Plover 
  is 
  an 
  occasional 
  

   cold- 
  weather 
  visitant;" 
  and 
  he 
  is 
  very 
  possibly 
  right, 
  as 
  the 
  

   Officers 
  of 
  the 
  Connaught 
  Hangers 
  were 
  very 
  positive 
  that 
  

   they 
  had 
  shot 
  the 
  Golden 
  Plover 
  on 
  several 
  occasions. 
  

  

  82. 
  ffinicNEMus 
  scoLOPAX 
  (S. 
  G. 
  Gm.). 
  

  

  The 
  Stone-Curlew 
  occurs 
  occasionally 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  

   Aden 
  during 
  the 
  cold 
  season. 
  I 
  liave 
  never 
  seen 
  one 
  in 
  the 
  

   hot 
  weather, 
  neither 
  have 
  I 
  ever 
  met 
  with 
  it 
  in 
  Aden 
  proper, 
  

   by 
  which 
  I 
  mean 
  inside 
  the 
  Barrier 
  Gate. 
  They 
  are 
  fairly 
  

   common 
  at 
  Little 
  Aden, 
  on 
  the 
  opposite 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  harbour. 
  

  

  83. 
  yEoiALITIS 
  MONGOLICA 
  (Pall.). 
  

  

  This 
  Sand-Plover 
  is 
  occasionally 
  met 
  with 
  during 
  the 
  

   cold 
  weather; 
  one 
  shot 
  on 
  the 
  2nd 
  November 
  measured 
  

  

  