Contributions to the Ornithology of India, Sfc. 231 



at Gwader on tlie Mekraii Coast, auci I saw, but failed to pro- 

 cure a specimen, as I was endeavouring" to shoot an osprey at 

 the time, a flock of them near Muscat. 



There is some little confusion in reg'ard to what our smal- 

 lest Indian shore plover really is. Mr. Blyth says unhesita- 

 ting-ly curonicus, which Mr. Gray gives as a synonj^me oifiwia- 

 tilis, Bechst, and to which he assig'us a habitat of East and 

 South Europe, Eg-ypt, Red Sea. On the other hand, Mr. Gray 

 only assig-ns to India philipprnus, Lath., which he identifies 

 ^N\\h jjusilhis , Horsf., niinutus, Pall., simplex et collaris, Licht., 

 interm.edius Menetr, and zonatus, Swains, and which would 

 appear to occur also in China, the Philippine Islands, and 

 West Africa ! 



Jerdon, I think, clearly describes fiuviatilis ; oi philippinns. 

 Blyth says, that " in nuptial dress, it has the usual white fore- 

 head surmounted by a black band, also a black loral streak and 

 auriculars in part ; crown, rufescent brown, with a more rufous 

 periphery, some black behind the white nuchal collar above, the 

 black pectoral streak narrow or interrupted in front, and the 

 tail unhanded, with the three outerm.ost feathers white ; legs, 

 pale in dry specimens; length of wing, 4 inches; of tarsi, l"12r 

 inch.^^ 



If I have rightly identified the birds, we have hoth in India ; 

 fl'uviatilis is the one common in the North-Western Provinces, 

 the Punjab, and Sindh, and probably everywhere along the west 

 Coast. It occurs also on the east, but there and at the Anda- 

 mans, philipptinus also occurs. 



Fiuviatilis breeds freely with us. I have its egg^ sent me by 

 Mr. F. R. Blewitt, from the Mahanuddy in the Raipoor dis- 

 trict, and from the Gansres near Fnttehgurh. 



Philippinus, as far as I yet know, does not breed on the main 

 land, but verj^ likely may on the Andamans and Nicobars. 



851. — Vanelins cristatus, Meyer. 



The peewit is rare in Sindh; I ouly saw it occasionally in the 

 neighbourhood of some of the larger lakes. 



852. — Cliettnsia gregaria, Pall. 



This lapwing was often met with ; chiefly in waste places in 

 the immediate neighbourhood of cultivation. As a rule this is 

 an upland bird; you may see it occasionally near jheels; but it 

 is most common in the neighbourhood of cultivation on waste 

 dry uplands. It keeps together in flocks of from 20 to 100, 

 and until shot at once or twice, is fearless and tame. 



Dr. Jerdon only describes the summer plumage of this species. 



