CirAKADUIID.*: — THE PLOVKUS — CHAltADUns. 



145 



coniK-ctioti uiiwunlH of thirty sjieeiiuens, fl\o greater number hviii^ from tho Piicilic islnmlH. Mcum- 

 iiiviiieiitH of II part uf tliJH 8«rii-H (otiivr spfuimeiiit not liein^' availalilt' for tliu piu'iiosf) givu tlit- 

 I'lilliiwiii;,' ivsiiltii : — Sifcu 8j)ecimi:nii fram Aladd : Win;,', (!.:i')-<l>*(>, ii\i'raj,'L', (i. I!( ; chIiul'M, .85- 

 .!l,'>, avuruHi'i .SSI; tarsurt, 1.70-I.n"), avi'iaj;i', l.7t> ; niiijiili' tur, .s.'i-.KO, a\<ia;,'i', ,h!). Sijiern 

 :ipa-uiuitii /rinn I'wijic ulundu, Jnilia, iiitd China: Winn, <i. Kl-'l-''", uvtMaj^'c, (1.3(1 ; cniniL'n, .H5- 

 l.(M», avcra^i! .1)3 ; tar«us, l.r)")-l.H,'), uwragi', l.(i!) ; miildli! toe, .M-.'X>, avfra^i-, .1)1. Tiie uvura^L' 

 of iliii wliolu Hurit's i.-i aw j^ivun aliovc 



In tlie I'olli'ftion tiieri; i.-t oni' s|)L-cinu'n (No. 1H53) lalu.'lli'd '• (7i(«;'i((/r('i(« yi/i/riVi/io," rccoiveil 

 from Au^. licfcvrc, i'aris, ami Hn|)i)o.seil to liavi? Itfcn olitaint'il in France — altliougii tlii.s i.s not 

 assertril on tin- ori^inul laln'l — which liearn, Ih-hiiIl* tho nanii-, only tiiu in.scrijttion, ^' /jremnit livr/e 

 il\'li'." It is typical fulvm, having Nnioky ^ray a.xiilars, ami measuring as follows ; Wing, (J.(X) ; 

 culnitMi, .\)-J, ; tarsu.s, I. To ; nii<l(llu toe, .<J(i. It is an adult in changing [)hunagu. 



A siu},'lt' Hijpcimcii of this Asiatic sppcifS was piocurod hy Mr. Elliott on tho I'ry- 

 biluf Lslands, thus first giving it a jilaco in thf fauna of North Amcriea.' Tlii.s 

 t'xaniplt' was taken on the Island of St. Taul's, May I*. IS7.'3. Mr. Elliott states that 

 a few stragglers land in April or early in May on their way north to breed, but never 

 remain long. Tliey return in greater numbers the latter i)art of September, and grow 

 fat upon the larvif generated on the killing-grounds of the fur seal, and leave for 

 tlie .south by the end of (Jetolier. Numerous specimens taken on the coast of Alaska 

 are in the National Museum. This spooies is very closely allied to the r!r(j!uiiiiius, 

 so that Drs. Hartlauh and Finsch regard it as verj' probable that they art; identical 

 species. 



Mr. Dresser, iu his nceount of this bird, refers to specimens taken in Nortlieastern 

 Africa on the Red Sea, in Siberia, India, Ceylon, Malacca, Java, Hanca, liorneo, 

 Timor, IJatchian, Australia, Hainan, Formosa, China, and also to one from the Arctic 

 seas, killed in hit. (H)° 30' N., long. 17o° L'O' E., Sept. 3, ISoL', and nearer the American 

 than the Asiatic shore. It also occasionally extends its range into Europe, having 

 once bei'n seen at Heligoland and twice at Malta. It will thus be seen either to be 

 a great wanderer or to have (piite an extended range. 



It is without doubt this bird tliat is referred to by Pallas as C.jjluvialis. By that 

 traveller it is spoken of as being rare in the northern parts of Russia, but exceedingly 

 common in Siberia, whence it migrates in the autumn in Hocks to more southern 

 localities in comi)any with the Dotterel. It was met with on the banks of small 

 rivers and in cattle pastures. Steller is quoted as having taken it in Kamtschatka 

 in autumn. 



Mr. Dresser states that it breeds within the Arctic Circle. Middendorff observed 

 it on the tundnts of the Taimyr, in lat. 74° X., in full summer plumage. The birds 

 were gathered in large flocks on the 4th of June, and had eggs by the 17th. They 

 assembled on the 2d of August, on Lake Taimyr, to return, and none were seen after 



uml another, in nearly complete suninicr dress, from Shanghui, China (N'o. 85742, April 21, 1881 ; Shanghai 

 Miiscinii). Upon close comparison of these specimens with examples in convs|H)nJing plimiiij,'« from 

 Xortli America, wc cannot sec that they differ in the minutest particular as regards coloration. They are, 

 however, decidedly shorter winged, their measurements being, respectively, as follows ; — 



Wing. Ciiliiien. Tarsus. Middle Toe. 



No. 71.'i61, ,J, New South Wales, 6.30 .95 1.65 1.00 



No. 85742, i, Shanghai, 6.S6 1.02 1.75 .95 



Average of O. dominicm, 7.09 .91 70 .90 



' Since the above was (M-nued by Dr. Brewer, numerous Alaskan si)ecka.<in8 have been received at the 

 U. S. National Museum, collected by Messrs. Turner and Nelson, and others, chiefly at St. Michael's, 

 Norton Sound. — H. H. 



VOL. I. — 19 



