On the Osteology c/Aramus scolopaceus. 33 
A nest containing four eggs was found on Marcli 18tli. 
They resemble brownish eggs of Vanellus vulgaris, but are 
less pyriform and much smaller. The deep brown patches 
are all more or less longitudinal. 
Measurements: 41-1 by 28-5, 40 by 27*5, 40 by 27-5, 
and 40 by 28*5 mm. 
108. Pluvianus tEgyptius (Linn.). 
. 12 c?, 13 cT^QT' ?, 98 ?, 257 ? , 338 ? , 360 $. 
These pretty birds were fairly well distributed along the 
river-banks in small flocks. Towards the end of March they 
were evidently just on the point of breeding and occurred in 
pairs ; the ovaries of the females were very much enlarged, 
and we often observed them scratching holes in the sand and 
then covering them up, as though they were burying their 
eggs. This habit is well known to the natives, who also are 
acquainted with the eggs, which they describe as being green. 
Curiously enough, they call this bird ^^Asfur el timsah/' that 
is, " Bird of the Crocodile " ; so there may be something in 
Herodotus's story of the Trochilus after all ! 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE I. 
Eig. 1. Cisticola aridula, p. 16. 
2. Egg of Passer riifidorsalis, p. 9. 
3, 4. Eggs of Caprimidgus eximuis, p. 20. 
II. — Notes upon the Osteology of Aramus scolopaceus. By 
FiiANK E. Beddard, M.A,, F.B.S., Prosector and Vice- 
Secretary of the Zoological Society of London. 
Opinions as to the exact systematic position of this curious 
bird have differed and still differ greatly. A list of the 
varying views that have been held at one time or another as 
to the relationships of Aramus is to be found in Fiirbringer^s 
' Untersuchungen ' *. From this it will appear that the bulk 
of current opinion is in favour of keeping the bird in the place 
which is assigned to it in the last edition of the ' Vertebrate 
List,' where it is joined with the Cranes, Bustards, Cariama, 
Rhinochetus, Psophia, and. Eurypyga to form Mr. Sclater's 
* ' Untersuchungeu zur Morphologie uud Systematik cler Vogel/ &c. 
(Amsterdam, 1888), p. 1207. 
SER, VIII» — VOL. II. D 
