Order Gfiaradriform.es, Family Vanellidae, Genus Zonifer. 97 



Wing Primaries, black; the bases of the inner webs, 



white; secondaries, the first seven or eight with the outer 

 webs and tips, black; the inner webs white at the base, the 

 white gradually increasing until the last four or five are en- 

 tirely white; upper wing coverts, brown, tinged with dull 

 purple, the lower ones tipped with white; under wing coverts, 

 white. 



Tail— White at the base, followed by a broad band of 

 black, and tipped with White. 



Legs and Feet — Dull dark red. 



Bill — Yellow, tip brown. 



Iris — Yellow. 



Wattle at the base of the bill, bright red. 



Measurements— Total length of skin, 26 cm.; wing, 18 

 cm.; tail, 9.50 cm.; bill, 2 cm.; tarsus, 5.10 cm. 



The female resembles the male. 



Chick — "Covered with pale brown down on all the upper 

 parts of the body, the base of the down black, giving it a 

 mottled appearance; forehead and crown of head like the 

 back; lores and down above the eye with a rufous wash; a 

 crescent shaped marking on the nape, black; sides of the fore- 

 head, pale rufous ; down below the eye, on the cheeks, and all 

 the under surface pure white; ear coverts and a patch on each 

 side of the forehead, blackish brown; long down on the out- 

 sides of the thighs and under tail coverts tinged with fulvous; 

 tips of pin feathers of inner secondaries and scapulars, ful- 

 vous; bill, olive-brown, the under mandible paler; legs and 

 feet, olive grey; iris, dull greenish yellow." — (North). 



Distribution — The Black-breasted Plover is found in all 

 the non-tropical parts of Australia, including Tasmania, Kan- 

 garoo Island, and most of the islands of the Bass' Straits. 

 They are still fairly common on the Adelaide plains, and in 

 some parts, where not disturbed, become very tame. Unlike 

 the Spur-winged Plover it does not favour wet and swampy 

 country, but is generally to be found in dry plains, often such 

 as are grassless and stony. Dry lagoon beds and fallow 

 fields are favourite localities. Its range extends far into the 

 interior. 



Habits — They go in flocks from six or seven up to forty 

 or fifty in number. As a rule they are very wary and diffi- 

 cult to approach on foot, especially in districts where they 

 have been much disturbed, but can usually be easily stalked 

 in a buggy or on horseback. When their backs are turned, 

 to the observer, they harmonise wonderfully well with their 



