THE ISLANDS OF THE BAY OF BENGAL. 2S9 



the islands in the middle of May." We obtained specimens 

 thoughout the cold season, and. other specimens were sent us 

 procured, in the first week in September. 



847— Cirrepidesmns mongolians, Pall. (36.) 



Pallas' shore plover was very abundant on all the islands of 

 the Bay of Bengal, and next to Tringoides hypoleucos it was 

 the commonest species along their coasts. All the birds, though 

 some were shot quite at the end of April, are in winter plumage. 

 One alone shot on the 24th April exhibits very faint traces on 

 the sides of the breast of the rufous summer plumage. 



Davison remarks that : — " This like the last occurs both at 

 the Andamans and Nicobars, and is much more numerous, 

 occurring in flocks of twenty or thirty, frequenting the sea shore 

 at low water, and retiring to the swamps and fields at high 

 tide. I have often seen this species and Geoffroyi associating 

 together. Sometimes a solitary pair may be found about the 

 sea shore." We have numbers of specimens of this species 

 shot right through from the first week in September to the 

 first week in May. All the September birds and the May birds 

 are more or less strongly tinged with rufescent on the breast, 

 and exhibit other signs of summer plumage. Then we have 

 one specimen killed in July with fainter traces of summer 

 plumage than any of these, and then we have three birds killed 

 on different dates in August entirely in winter plumage. It 

 would seem that the mass of the birds leave early in May to 

 return early in September; but that some few birds, either 

 young ones, or perhaps weakly or wounded birds, remain all 

 the year round, and that those that do this do not assume the 

 summer plumage. There is a great deal still to be ascertained 

 in regard to these small waders at the iYndamans. Some 

 individuals, at least, of many species, which elsewhere in India 

 are migratory, remaining apparently throughout the year. 



849.— ^Egialites flnviatilis, Beck. (1.) 



This species appears to be rare iu the islands of the Bay of 

 Bengal ; we only preserved a single specimen, and what is more 

 curious we never once met with the Kentish plover. This may 

 perhaps be explained by the fact that the latter is less of a 

 sea shore bird with us, and more of a river bank species than 

 mongolicus and Geoffroyi. Lord Walden says that he has 

 never met with examples of this present bird from Southern Asia 

 in full breeding dress. I have met with thousands, and have 

 probably twenty specimens by me now in this plumage, and 



