charadri>le. 641 



The Indian Ringed-plover. 



Descr. — Frontal zone white, followed by a black band edged 

 with white, which passes over the eyes as a superciliary mark ; 

 lores black, passing under the eyes through the ear-coverts ; chin, 

 throat, and lower face, passing as a collar round the hind neck, 

 white ; succeeded by a broadish black zone or ring which borders 

 the white ring, gradually narrowing behind ; upper plumage 

 cinereous-brown ; quills brown ; tail, with the central feathers ashy- 

 brown, tipped dark brown, the outermost feathers nearly all white, 

 with a brown spot on the inner web, gradually increasing in extent 

 and becoming ashy at the base ; lower plumage and under wing- 

 coverts white. 



Bill black, yellowish at the base ; irides deep brown ; orbits 

 yellow ; legs yellow. Length 7£ inches ; extent 13^ ; wing 

 41 ; tail 2^ ; bill at front T 9 g ; tarsus 1 ; middle-toe with claw 

 nearly f . 



The Indian Ringed-plover is found throughout India on open 

 plains, ploughed land, dried up paddy-fields, and the edges of 

 tanks^ and rivers, as well as on sand banks and churrs. It is 

 generally in small nocks, from half a dozen to twenty or more, 

 feeding not very close to each other, and running about in a lively 

 manner, frequently taking flight, circling round with a cheerful 

 whistling note, and alighting again near the same spot. It feeds 

 on insects. Burgess found them breeding in April on sand banks 

 in the middle of rivers, laying three eggs on the bare sand, of a 

 rich stone-colour, spotted and freckled with grey and brown. 



850. iEgialitis minutus, Pallas. 



Charadrius, apud Pallas — H. pusilla, Horsfield apud Blyth, 

 Cat. 1568 — C. minor, apud Jerdon, Cat. 361. 



The Lesser Ringed-plover. 



Descr. — Very similar to the last but smaller altogether, and 

 with proportionally much smaller legs and feet. The upper plu- 

 mage is of a somewhat darker shade ; the quills are also blacker ; 

 the lateral tail-feathers have more white ; the base of the lower 

 mandible is more yellow, and the tertials are less lengthened. 



PART II. 4 M 



