400 Mr. P. R. Lowe on the Common 



as a character in the diifcrentiation of certain genera; for 

 the genus j^gialitis presents us with an excellent example 

 for its demonstration. In the ' Handlist of British Birds/ 

 referred to above^ the genus u^Tjy'ialitis is lumped with the 

 genus Charadrius^, and in a key to the classification of 

 British birds in the recently published 'British Bird Book' 

 (edited by Mr. Kirkman)^ Mr. Pycraft has a footnote to the 

 effect that '^' It is impossible without juggling with facts 

 to recognise the genus ^^gialitis (and others), which must 

 be included in the genus Charadrius." Furthermore, 

 Mr. Pycraft in some introductory remarks to this key gives 

 it as his opinion that colour is a factor which should be 

 ignored, if classification is to be framed on sound scientific 

 lines. 



During the past six months or so I have been, somewhat 

 carefully, through the whole collection of Waders contained 

 in the British Museum, and as a result, I am driven to the 

 belief that colour, on the contrary, is a factor which certainly 

 cannot be ignored in any attempt, based on sound scientific 

 lines, to classify that very difficult group, and that the opinion 

 expressed by Mr. Pycraft on this point, however true it may, 

 or may not, be as regards other groups, is certainly quite 

 fallacious as regards the Waders, 



The genus yEgialitis is cosmopolitan, and as generally 

 and hitherto comprehended, consists of a very natural and 

 compact group of some twenty species, either more or less, 

 according to the individual opinions of various writers. 

 This compact group of species, besides possessing a common 

 and very characteristic type of habitat (marine-littoral or 

 lacustrine-littoral) and certain quite characteristic habits, 

 is also very notable for the fact that there runs through the 

 whole series of species composing it a certain definite 

 colour- pattern, which is quite remarkable for its fixity and 

 constancy, although many of these species inhabit more or 

 less isolated areas and are separated by vast distances. 



We may roughly sura this coloui'-pattern up by saying 



* The authors include under this generic name such differentiated 

 types of Plover as the Caspian, Kinged, Golden, and Killdeer Plover and 

 the Dotterel. 



