212 VANELLUS. 



Variations. ]Vfo local races of this species are known. 



Synonymy. 



Literature. 



Specific 

 characters. 



Geographi- 

 cal distribu- 

 tion. 



Nearest ally. 



Charadrius gregarius, Pallas, Reise Russ. Reichs, i. p. 456 (1771). 

 Tringa keptuschka, Lepechin, Tageb. Reise Russ. Reichs, i. p. 339 (1774). 

 Tringa fasciata, S. N. Gmelin, Reis. Russl. ii. p. 194 (1774) . 

 Vanellas gregarius {Pall.), Vieillot, N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xxxv. p. 315 (1819). 

 Charadrius keptuschka [Lepech.), Wagler, Syst. Av. p. 73 (1837) . 

 Chettusia gregaria {Pall.), Bonap. Faun. Ital. Ucc, Introd. p. l3 (1833). 

 Charadrius waglerij Gray ^ Hardwicke, III. Ind. Orn. pi. 50 (1835) . 

 Vanellus keptuschka {Lepech.), Temminck, Man. d'Orn. iv. p. 360 (1840). 

 Vanellus pallidus, Heuglin, Syst. Uebers. V'og. N.O.-Afr. p. 55 (1855). 

 Chettusia wagleri {Gray 3f Hardw.), Bonap. Compt. Rend, xliii. p. 419 (1856) . 



Plates. — Gould, Birds of Europe, pi. 393; Dresser, Birds of Europe, vii. pi. 538. 



Habits. — Dresser, Birds of Europe, vii. p. 537. 



Eggs. — An example in Mr. Crowley's collection, from Sarepta, and two examples in my col- 

 lection, taken by Major Butler on the Mekran coast, are indistinguishable from small pale 

 eggs of the Avocet. 



The Sociable Lapwing, when adult, may be recognized by its black belly and chestnut- 

 red vent. At all ages it may be recognized by the colour of its shortest primaries, which 

 are black with the inner web white or margined with white. 



It breeds on the steppes of South-east Russia, South-west Siberia, and Russian 

 Turkestan, migrating in autumn to winter in North-east Africa and India. It has doubtfully 

 been recorded as an accidental visitor to Prance and Spain, but there are three authentic 

 records of its occurrence in Italy (GiglioH, Ibis, 1881, p. 208). Its breeding-range extends 

 from the valley of the Lower Volga (whence I have several examples from Sarepta) as far 

 east as the basin of Lake Saisan (Finsch, Reise West-Sibir. p. 131). Goebel did not find 

 it in South-west Russia, nor has it been recorded by any of the travellers in South-east 

 Siberia. 



It seems to be nearest allied to V. leucurus, but is somewhat intermediate between 

 that species and V. ventralis, agreeing with the former in its white outer tail-feathers, and 

 in having more or less chestnut on the belly, and with the latter in having black on the 

 crown and belly. V. leucurus and F. ventralis show their connection by the black on their 

 wing-coverts, so that it seems probable that the three colonies were isolated about the same 

 time. 



