^GIALITIS CURONICA. 953 



by a black streak ; a broad ring of black completely encircles the lower part of the neck, above which a white 

 band passes across the hind neck and joins the white of the throat. 

 An example shot on the 9th of February in Ceylon is in process of a change to this dress. The loral stripe and cheeks 

 are brownish black, as in winter ; the black band above the forehead is narrow and irregular ; the white feathers 

 above the eye are changing to black, and the pectoral band is mixed black and white, and does not extend to the 

 back of the neck. 



Young. It is probable that the nestling in down resembles the young of M. hiaticula of Europe. In this the back 

 and wing-coverts are buff-grey, mottled with black, a dark border running round the flanks, and separating this 

 colour from the white of the under surface ; forehead and a broad band across the hind neck white ; head, nape, 

 and ear-coverts grey, mottled with black and bordered by a black edging round the nape. 



Immature birds in first autumn have the loral stripe and facial band brown ; the pectoral band present in the form of 

 a brown wash across the chest ; and the forehead has less of the buff-white than in the adult in winter ; the wing- 

 coverts, upper back, and scapulars are edged with buff-grey; tail-coverts tipped with the same, and the central 

 tail-feathers tipped with buff. 



Obs. Measurements given by various Indian writers of late are : — 2 (Irrawaddy), length 6-8 inches, wing 4 - 5, 



tarsus 0-92, bill from gape 0-7 {Armstrong) ; tf (Furreedpore), length 6-75, wing 4-25, tarsus 0-91, bill at 



front 0-5, weight 1-12 oz. ; $ , length 7-25, wing 4-58, tarsus 0-92, bill at front 0-54, weight 1-37 oz. (Cripps) ; 



cJ (Tarkaud), length 6 - o, wing 4'5, tarsus l - 05, bill from gape 06, weight 1-15 oz. ; 2 > length 7 - 0, wing 4 - 75, 



tarsus 1-05, bill from gape 065, weight 1*7 oz. (Scully). 



The Marquis of Tweeddale gives the wing-dimensions of seven Luzon examples as 4 - 2o to 4 - 5 inches. 



European examples range up to 4 - 7 inches in the wing, and none that I have examined are less than 4-25 ; the frontal 

 black band next the bill is present in all, and does not seem ever to be less than -j^ inch in width. I find no 

 difference in specimens from Europe, India, Ceylon, and China, except that as far east as the latter country they 

 seem to average smaller, and perhaps form a connecting-link with the next species. 



1 do not adopt Scopoli's prior title dubi.us, because his description is founded on an incorrect plate, and consequently 

 does not apply with sufficient accuracy to the species. I have carefully examined Sonnerat's plate; and though it 

 is undoubtedly a representative of a small Kinged Plover, there are mistakes in it which led (on the part of 

 Scopoli) to a decidedly erroneous description, in which we have " rectricibus nigris, apice albis," and also "nigra 

 sunt caput, fascia collaris et caudalis, rostrum, pedes." So that we have a bird depicted with a black tail tipped 

 with white, and with a black head, bill, and feet ! Gmelin's name curonicus was given to Beseke's bird from 

 Kurland, which the latter called Charadrius, n. sp.? He refers to it in his ' Vogel Kurlands,' p. 66, gives an 

 accurate description of it, and says that Grmelin has named it Charadrius curonicus, which title should reasonably 

 be adopted in preference to Scopoli's. 



The present species differs from the larger Einged Plover of Europe, 2E. hiaticula, in having the 1st primary-shaft 

 only white, and also in being, as its name implies, smaller. Examples of the larger bird measure : — wing 5-3 to 

 5-4 inches ; tarsus 0-9 to I/O ; bill at front 0"6. The black pectoral band is broader than in 2E. curonica. 



Distribution. — This little Plover is, according to my experience, migratory to Ceylon, appearing in the 

 island in September, and departing again in April and May. Mr. Holdsworth considers it to be resident, as 

 he observed it at Aripu during most of the year. I never saw it in the Trincomalie district during the hot 

 weather after the month of May. It is not an abundant species, and is chiefly confined to the north and 

 north-east of the island, and almost always found in the maritime districts. I have not met with it anywhere 

 very far inland. It is not included in my list of birds of the Hambantota district (' Ibis/ 1875) ; but I think 

 I saw it once or twice in that locality. I did not notice it at Galle ; but I have seen it on the beach (not the 

 usual locality for it) at Colombo, and have met with it at Kotte and in the Mutturajawella swamp, and on the 

 islands near Negombo. It is not uncommon in suitable spots in the Jaffna district; but I nowhere saw 

 it in such numbers as between Trincomalie and Tireyeyi. It may occur far inland on the banks of the 

 Mahawelliganga. Jerdon observes that it 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 churs." Sykes speaks of a 

 Ringed Plover being found on the shores of fresh waters in the Deccan. I have seen two of his specimens in 

 the India Museum, and they belong to the next species with the large naked orbital ring ; but it is probable 

 that he also procured the present bird, as Messrs. Fairbank and Davidson both record it from this region ; 



