68 



greenish-brown, much sprinkled with dark -brown markings ; they measure 

 1 inch 4 lines in length, with a breadth of 1 inch. 



The young are exceedingly active, the little brown puffs of down may be 

 observed running with great swiftness on being alarmed. In the autumn the 

 Dotterel assembles in flocks of considerable numbers. 



Notes. — August 2, 1856, saw a nest and two eggs, Rakaia river. 



September 1, 1856, saw nest and three eggs, Rakaia river. 

 October 14, 1857, young birds quite strong. 



No. A. 65. — Charadrius obscurus, Gml. 

 Tituriwhatu-pukunui. 

 Red-breasted Plover. 



In Dr. Finsch's list, in Vol. i., "Transactions New Zealand Institute," 

 this Plover is named Hcematopus obscurus. 



This handsome bird is to be met with on hill and plain, yet nowhere in 

 very considerable numbers. In the breeding season we have noticed it at such 

 a considerable altitude as the summit of Dog Range, in the Ashburton district. 

 The nest is difficult to find, it is so slight an affair that it easily escapes obser- 

 vation, merely a few stems of grass twisted into a slight hollow in the ground, 

 so loosely put together that it is not easy to pick it up and yet preserve its 

 form. The eggs, three in number, just fill the nest ; they are of a delicate 

 soft-brown, suffused with dark-brown, almost black, marks, somewhat oval in 

 shape, in length 1 inch 9 lines, with a breadth of 1 inch 3 lines. The young 

 run with speed almost as soon as hatched, and conceal themselves with much 

 skill. Young birds have not the rufous tinge on the breast and upper part of 

 the abdomen. We have observed eggs and young in the months of October 

 and November. 



Note. — Oct. 22, 1867 — Nest with three eggs ; — saw young Plovers. 



The warning-note of this bird sounds like click, click, slowly repeated. 



An excellent figure of it, rather warmly coloured, is to be found in Ross's 

 "Voyage of the Erebus and Terror," Vol. i., plate 9, Birds. 



No. B. 65. — Anarhynchus frontalis, Quoy. and Gaim. 

 Scissor-bill, 

 Crook -billed Plover, 



Appears in Dr. Finsch's list, " Transactions New Zealand Institute," Vol. i., as 

 Hcematopus frontalis. 



The Crook-billed Plover, at the breeding season, is less wary than any 

 of its congeners, and its nesting-place would be discovered with veiy little 

 difficulty, were it not for the wonderful instinct it exhibits in selecting the ground 

 for depositing its eggs. They are simply laid, without any preparation, amongst 

 the pebbles of some river-bed usually, and never far from water, and so well 

 does their grey tint harmonize with the general colour of the shingle around 

 them, that their detection would be almost hopeless if this bird was less 

 confident. 



Its oval-shaped eggs are three in number, grey stone-colour, with the 

 whole surface minutely dotted over with black specks ; they measure 1 inch 

 4J lines in length, with a width of 1 inch \ line. On approaching the eggs or 

 young, the old bird trots slowly away, assuming a broader and somewhat flatter 

 appearance, by slightly extending the wings, making at the same time a low 

 purring sound. 



Breeding season extends from September to December. 



The young birds are covered with grey down, and appear to have legs 

 long, out of all proportion to the size of the body ; at this early stage, the 

 peculiar deflection of the bill, although slight, is perceptible ; it is always 



