206 



VANELLUS. 



Determina- 

 tion of the 

 type. 



Climatic dis- 

 tribution. 



somewhere, and perhaps the wisest course is to admit all synonyms, except the generic 

 names of Reichenbach and the specific names of Brehm. 



Linneus placed the Lapwing in the genus Tringa because it has a hind toe ; but 

 Brisson removed the four-toed Lapwings and Plovers and placed them in a genus of their 

 own. The Common Lapwing [Vmiellus cristatus) has a double claim to be regarded as 

 the type of the genus, first because it is the Tringa vanellus of Linneus, and secondly 

 because it is the Vanellus vanellus of Brisson. 



The genus Vanellus is not a very large one, and has equal claims to be regarded as 

 temperate or tropical. The distribution of the species is as follows : — 



Temperate Eurasia 3 



South Africa 2 



Temperate South America 2 



Temperate species .... — 7 



Tropical Asia 1 



Tropical Africa 4 



Tropical America 2 



Tropical species — 7 



Species and subspecies of Vanellus . . — 14 



Three- toed. 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 



(during the breeding-season) . 



PALiEARCTic Region. Four-toed. 



Britain to Japan. V. cristatus. 



S.E. Russia to W. Turkestan V. gregakitjs. 



W. Turkestan and Persia V. leuctjrus. 



Oriental Region. 

 V. vENTRALis India and Burma. 



Ethiopian Region. 



V. MELANOPTERUs East Africa. 



f North-east Africa. 



^■^^i^osvs j r West Africa. 



V. iNORNATUs ^-^ Central Africa. 



^ South-east Africa. 



V. SPECIOSUS . 

 V. CORONATXJS . 



V. CRASSIROSTRIS. 



} 



South Africa. 



