CHAEADEIID^ STBPHANIBYX 357 



good runners, and are sometimes difficult to flush. Their food 

 consists of beetles and grasshoppers and other insects, and they 

 are specially fond of patches of freshly-burnt grass-land, where 

 insects are to be easily found. Mr. Wood informs me that they 

 breed near East London early in October, but Eriksson found nests 

 on the Limpopo in August and September as well. The nest is 

 merely a slight depression in the ground and the clutch usually 

 consists of three eggs; these are oval and rather pointed at one 

 end, of a yellowish- brown ground-colour blotched all over with 

 blackish-brown and indistinct purple, chiefly at the obtuse end ; 

 they measure about 1-6 x 1-15. 



The South African Museum contains clutches from Potcbef- 

 stroom taken in October, and from Ladysmith taken in July and 

 August, by Mr. Roberts and Major Sparrow respectively. 



721. Stephanibyx melanopterus. Black-winged Plover. 



CharaJrius melanopterus, Crctzschm. in Riipp. Atlas, p. 46, pi. 31 



(1826) ; P. L. Sclatei; P. Z. 8. 1866, p, 23 [Cathcart] . 

 Cbaradrius spixii, Waglef, Syst. Av. Chamdrius, p. 57, no. 7 (1827). 

 Vanellus mplanoptenis, Gurney, Ibis, 1860, p. 217, 1862, p. 38 [Natal]-; 



Seehohm, Qcogr. Dish: Charadr. p. 224, with fig. (1888). 

 Hoplopterus melanopterus, Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 294 (1867). 

 Chettusia melanoptera, Sharpc, ed. LayairVs B. 8. Afr. p. 669 (1884). 

 Stephanibyx melanopterus. Sharjic, Cat. B. M. xxiv, p. 180 (1896) ; 



Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 188 (1896) ; Woodward Bros. Natal B. p. 184 



(1899) ; Beichenow, Vog. Afr. i, p. 179 (1900). 



Description. Adult Male. — Forehead and forepart of the crown 

 white ; hinder portion slaty ; back and wings olive-brown with 

 a slight coppery gloss, median coverts tipped with white and with 

 a narrow subterminal cross band of black ; the greater coverts pure 

 white ; primary coverts, bastard wing and wing-quills black, the 

 secondaries white at the base, which increases until some of the 

 inner ones are quite white ; upper tail-coverts and tail white, the 

 latter with a broad subterminal band of black, less marked on the 

 outer feathers; below, chin whitish, sides of the face and breast 

 slaty, deepening into a black cross-band across the chest ; rest of 

 the lower surface, including the axillaries and under wing-coverts 

 white. No spur or hind toe. 



Iris pale yellow ; eyelids scarlet ; bill black ; feet dark scarlet ; 

 toes dusky scarlet. 



