38 CAPT. W. V. LEGGE ON LITTLE RINGED PLOVERS. [Feb. 3, 



British naturalist, unfortunately Professor Agassiz's method of no- 

 menclature prevents tliis desirable result." 



Having now examined at length these first articles of Mr, Bell, I 

 shall in future leave Hke criticisms from him to seek their own answer, 

 and close here, as far as I am concerned, this unprofitable discussion. 



Museum of Oomparative Zoology, 

 Cambridge, Mass., Dec. 30, 1879. 



February 3, 18S0. 



Professor Flower, LL.D., F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 



Captain W.V.Legge, R.A., exhibited aseries of specimens of Little 

 Ringed Plovers from Ceylon and Central India ; and remarked that 

 it had been a moot point as to whether there really were two species 

 of Little Ringed Plover in Lidia, some writers referring all the 

 birds found in that country to one form — the Lesser Ringed Plover 

 of Europe, ^giaUtis curonica. This, however (the larger form), 

 was a winter visitant, for the most part, both to the Peninsula and 

 to Ceylon, whereas the smaller form of Ringed Plover was, as far 

 as he could judge, a resident in the latter island, as he had found 

 it breeding there on the shores of the tanks in the northern 

 forests. Jerdon had recognized two species of Ringed Plovers in 

 his ' Birds of India,' the smaller of which (the one now exhibited) 

 he had called ^. ?««««;;« (Pallas). Jerdon had pointed out most 

 of the distinguishing characters of this species, viz. its smaller 

 size, the greater amount of yellow on the bill, and its smaller 

 legs and feet, as well as some other features which did not appear 

 to hold good. In addition to the smaller wing, which did not 

 attain a greater length than 4-3 inches, Captain Legge pointed 

 out the black loral band was narrower, and in many specimens did 

 not extend across the base of the bill at all, leaving the whole of the 

 forehead white ; the black pectoral band was likewise narrower ; and, 

 in addition to these characters, the naked eyelid was very broad, 

 tumid and protuberant, and deeply corrugated, which did not appear 

 to be the case with the larger species, JE. curonica. Blyth also had 

 remarked, in a paper published in the 'Field' of 28th May, 18/0, 

 that the smaller Ringed Plover of Southern India was characterized 

 by its very much broader naked orbital ring ; so there conld be no 

 doubt that this was a peculiar feature of the bird in question. The 

 note of the species, as observed at its breeding-haunts in Ceylon, was 

 also different from that of the larger form. 



Pallas's title Charadrius minutus, had been given by that author 

 in the 2nd volume of his ' Zoographia,' p. 14.5, to a bird found on 

 the lakes of the Barabinski steppes in Western Siberia ; and the de- 

 scription was that of the young of JEgialitis curonica, which is found 

 in that region. Jlorsfield had applied the name of Charadrius pu- 

 sillus to a small Ringed Plover from Java ; but Mr. Harting had seen 



