CHARADRIIDE. 549 
THE LESSER GOLDEN PLOVER. 
CHARADRIUS Dominicus, P. L. S. Miiller. 
There are two slightly different forms of this species, one of which 
is found in the eastern part of Asia while the other inhabits North 
America; and inasmuch as individuals referred to both of these 
have been obtained in the British Islands, the above trivial name 
has been adopted as being the least misleading. An example of 
the Asiatic race was found in Leadenhall Market among a lot of 
Golden Plovers in December 1874, and was said to have come 
from Norfolk ; but this alone, however probable, did not suffice to 
procure the admission of the species to the British list. In the 
autumn of 1882 Mr. J. H. Gurney found a bird of the American 
form in the same market ; and Mr. J. G. Millais has recorded (Zool. 
1886, p. 26) the occurrence of a second American specimen in 
Perthshire, on August 3rd 1883. In ‘The Field’ of December 
roth 1887 Mr. Millais stated that on November 26th he received 
from Stennis in Orkney, in the flesh, one of the Asiatic race. 
Lastly, an example of the American form was obtained near Bel- 
mullet, co. Mayo, on September 13th 1894. 
A bird ascribed to the American race was obtained on Heligo- 
land in December 1847 by Giatke. Of the Asiatic form the 
collection of that distinguished ornithologist contains no fewer than 
three examples, all captured in summer ; while two have been taken 
in Malta, two (recently) on the mainland of Italy, one (in the posses- 
sion of the late Lord Lilford) at Malaya in Spain, and one at Lublin 
in Poland. This race breeds on the tundras up to lat. 74° N. from 
the Yenesei to Bering Sea, and as far south as the plains of 
Mongolia, migrating in winter to China, Japan, India, the Malay 
region, Australia, New Zealand and Polynesia; it also visits the 
Prybilof Islands and the coast of Alaska, while, as might be 
expected, gradations are found in the Pacific which lead insensibly 
to the American form. This was first described and named 
C. dominicus, by P. L. S. Miiller in 1776, from a specimen obtained 
on San Domingo. As a rule, it is characterized—especially in 
Eastern America—by its larger average size, relatively shorter 
inner secondaries, and less brilliant yellow tint. It has occurred at 
Olga Bay, Siberia, and it nests on the Barren grounds from Alaska 
