456 MR. J. E. HARTING ON THE EGGS [June 16, 



is the egg of Esacus recurvirostris there can be no doubt, since its 

 size, shape, and peculiar coloration preclude its belonging to any 

 other species inhabiting India. It resembles in some respects the 

 egg of CEdicnemus crepitans, but is larger, the ground-colour of a 

 warmer tint, and the surface more richly blotched. Thienemann 

 figures it (plate lvii. fig. 1) as larger than the Australian CEdicnemus 

 grallarius ; but this is surely a mistake. Jerdon states (Birds of India, 

 ii. p. 653) that he never procured the eggs of this bird in India ; but 

 Mr. Layard found it breeding in Ceylon. 



Pluvianus jEGyptius (Linn.). (Plate LX. fig. 2.) 



The only account that I have found of the nesting of this bird is 

 in Badeker's work. He refers to it as breeding on the sandy islands 

 of the Nile, and says " it scratches a hole in the sand or gravel, and 

 lays four eggs therein. These are very difficult to find, as the 

 vigilant bird when it observes the approach of an intruder covers 

 them over before it leaves the nest." The eggs seem to be ex- 

 tremely rare in collections. That now figured is the only one which 

 I have seen. It was found on a sand- bank near Damietta, by Mr. J. 

 H. Cochrane, who shot the old bird in May 1862. 



It may be here observed that this so-called Nile Plover is not 

 confined to East and North-east Africa, but is also found on the 

 west coast. Hartlaub records it from Senegambia (Orn. W.-Afr.). 

 Monteiro found it in Angola (Ibis, 1862, p. 336); and I have in 

 my collection a specimen which was obtained by Mr. Ussher on the 

 Volta river in August 1870. 



Hoplopterus spinostjs (Linn.). 



The North-African Spur-winged Plover is one of the commonest 

 birds in Egypt, where it remains throughout the year. Captain 

 Shelley states (Birds of Egypt, p. 232) that it commences to breed 

 in March, at which season he has found as many as thirty nests 

 close together towards the point of a sand bank. It also breeds 

 in the fields. The nest consists of a circular shallow hole in the 

 sand, roughly lined with short pieces of dried reeds, just sufficient 

 to prevent the eggs from touching the ground. 



Four, taken by Mr. J. H. Cochrane about three miles above 

 Damietta, are now before me. They are not unlike the eggs of Lobi- 

 vanellus goensis, above referred to. 



CHyETUSIA CORONATA (Gmelill). 



For two eggs of this African Plover I am indebted to my friend 

 Mr. E. L. Layard, who procured them with several others in 

 Cape Colony. The nest, he informed me, is a mere depression 

 in the soil, and was generally found to contain but three eggs. 

 Andersson thought thafthis species must breed in Damaraland, as he 

 found young birds there in almost every stage of plumage (cf. Birds 

 of Damara Land, p. 26'J). A specimen is figured by Thienemann 

 (plate lviii. fig, 6); but the figure is unsatisfactory for want of colour. 



