362 CHARADEIID^ 



^GIALITIS 



'. A white collar on the hind neck continuous 



with the white of the underparts. 

 a?. A black line from the base of the bill to 

 the ear-coverts and a black patch on 



either side of the chest ^. alexandrina, ^.366. 



V. No black on the lores or the chest M.marginata,-^.31\. 



'. A white collar on the hind neck separated 

 from the white of the underparts by a 

 black band running from the ear-coverts 

 to the mantle JS. pecuaria,-p. 374. 



724. .ffigialitis geoifroyi. Great Sand Plover. 



Charadrius geoffroyi, Wagler, Syst. Av. Charadrius, p. 61, no. 19 

 (1827); Seebohm, Geogr. Distr. Charadr. p. 146 (1888); Shelley, 

 B. Afr. i, p. 189 (1896) ; Beichenow, Vog. Afr. i, p. 166 (1900). 



Charadrius leschenaulti, Lesson, Man. Orn. ii, p. 322 (1828) ; Layard, 

 B. S. Afr. p. 299 (1867). 



iEgialitis geoffroyi, Harting, Ibis, 1870, p. 378, pi. 11; Sliarpe, ed. 

 Lay curd's B. S. Afr. p. 664 (1884). 



Ochthodromus geoffroyi, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxiv, p. 217 (1896). 



Description. Adult in non-breeding dress. — General colour above 

 brown, hind neck a little paler ; wing-coverts with white tips 

 forming a narrow wing bar, primary coverts and primaries dark 

 brown, the shaft of the outer one white, the inner primaries and 

 secondaries having a good deal of white about their edges and tips ; 

 rump and upper tail-coverts pale brown, white at the sides ; tail- 

 feathers ashy-brown, becoming paler towards the outermost pair, 

 which are pure white ; most of the feathers with obscure darker 

 subterminal patches ; lores, forehead, eyebrow, cheeks, sides of the 

 neck and underparts white, with a patch of brown on either side of 

 the upper breast ; axillaries and under wing-coverts white. 



Iris brown ; bill black ; legs greenish-grey ; toes dusky. 



Length about 7'45 ; wing 6-75 ; tail 2-0 ; tarsus 1-4 ; culmen 0-9. 



The adult in breeding plumage has the hinder part of the crown 

 light brown surrounded by cinnamon-rufous, which extends down 

 the hind neck and forms a broad collar of cinnamon-rufous; the 

 base of the forehead is. white followed by a narrow black baud ; 

 lores black, continued back above and below the eye along the top 

 of the ear-coverts ; a broad band of cinnamon-rufous across the 

 chest. 



Distribution. — The Great Sand Plover is a bird of wide distribu- 



