Mr. T. Ayres on the Ornithology of Transvaal. 267 
I found a pair of these birds breeding on an island in the 
centre of the Vaal river in the month of November. The eggs, 
two in number and much incubated, were laid on the bare 
sand, exposed to the heat of the sun, which, one would think, 
was enough to cook them. The nest was formed by a few 
very small whitish and white stones in a slight excavation. 
The eggs were of a creamy white, much marked throughout 
with dark umber-brown lines, which were especially numer- 
ous in two zones, one of which was about the middle of the 
egg, and the other and darker zone near its obtuse end ; they 
were exceedingly large for the size of the bird, measuring 
respectively 1.7, x 23 and 1.6 x 28 inch. 
[It is remarkable that the Ringed Plover (4. hiaticula) 
also lines its nest with small stones: vide Stevenson’s ‘ Birds 
of Norfolk, vol. 1. p. 85.—J. H. G.] 
/Mi@tALITIs VARIA (Vieill.). Kittlitz’s Plover. 
Female, shot 15th August. Tibiz, tarsi, and feet ash- 
colour, darkest on the tibize and tarsi, which were nearly 
black. 
Female, shot, 4th September, containing eggs nearly ready 
for exclusion, the yolk being apparently fully formed, but 
without any shell. Tarsi and feet dark ash-colour. 
This bird, which seems to be still moulting, was one of a 
pair found on some gently rising gravelly ground, with but 
little herbage, and distant about 200 yards from a reedy 
swamp. I could find no others in the neighbourhood. 
Six males, shot 2nd and 6th January. Tarsi yellowish 
ashy; tibiz and feet dusky sooty. Found in companies of 
two or three after rain in roadways. Stomach of two spe- 
cimens contained small beetles. 
Two females, shot 21st January. Tarsi and feet ashy; in 
one with no sooty tinge on the feet and tibiz, in the other 
with less of it than in the preceding specimens. At all the 
above dates the bills black and the irides dark umber. 
/HGIALITIS ASIATICA (Pall.)*. Caspian Plover. 
Two males and five females, shot 2nd and 21st January. 
* Thave here used the generic name adopted for this species by Mr. 
Dresser in his ‘ Birds of Europe.’ 
