ON A RARE AFRICAN PLOVER. 409 



three-quarters of an inch. To-day, after carrying our spoil on our 



backs some distance, the snow allowed of our dragging them — a 



much pleasanter way, I need hardly mention. On the way back 



saw a large flock of Snow Buntings, but they would not let me 



get a shot at them. No Ptarmigan seen to-day, but their tracks 



(probably yesterday's) were all about the big valley. We dragged 



the deer to the nearest point of the coast, and then fetched the 



boat to the spot. Though this was only a distance of some few 



hundred yards, we found as we approached that an adult Glaucous 



Gull was already helping himself to venison, and did not trouble 



himself to hurry his departure. Soon after starting in the boat 



on our way back we saw a trip of about fourteen geese flying ; 



their tracks, as yesterday, were common on the snow in the big 



valley. M. Kabot reported having seen a Diver {Colymbus) and 



a Puffin to-day. 



(To be continued.) 



ON A RARE AFRICAN PLOVER. 

 By the Editor. 



When staying at Leiden in May, 1870, for the purpose of 

 examining the collection oiLimicolce in the fine Museum d'Histoire 

 Naturelle des Pays Bas, I took sketches and descriptions of several 

 rare species, some of which were at that time unique. Amongst 

 others I particularly noticed a Ringed Plover which was labelled 

 "Charadrius indicus, Latham; Nipaul, Hodgson." Turning to 

 Prof. Schlegel's excellent Catalogue of the Museum (Cursores, 

 p. 25) I found the specimen duly entered as " Charadrius indicus, 

 Latham, nee Ruppell," with the remark, " Habite I'lnde Conti- 

 nentale. Adidte, Nipaid, presente par Mr. Hodgson," a description 

 with measurements being added. The specimen had long been 

 unique, and remained so for many years subsequently ; none of 

 the Indian ornithologists being able to verify its existence in 

 Nipaul, or to meet with it in any part of Continental India. 



The reference made by Latham to Pennant's ' View of Hin- 

 dostan,' J 798 (vol. ii. p. 159), throws no light on the question of 

 habitat. Pennant's words {I. c.) are :— " The Golden Plover, Brit. 

 Zool. ii. no. 208, is found here [Hindostan] from the very arctic 



2G 



