Family CHARADRIID^. Genus ^gialitis. 



Subfamily Charadriinm. 



RINGED PLOVER. 



^GIALITIS HIATICULA— Z/«;^«w. 



Geographical Distribution. — British .■ The small dark race 

 of the Ringed Plover appears only to pass the British Islands on 

 migration, although there is some confirmatory evidence that a few- 

 pairs remain to breed on the coasts of Kent and Sussex. During 

 passage in spring (May and June) and autumn (August, September, 

 and October) it frequents most parts of the British coasts suited 

 to its requirements, and often follows the course of rivers con- 

 siderable distances inland, and visits sheets of water far from the 

 coast. Foreign : Western Palsearctic region and north-eastern 

 portion of Nearctic region. Breeds in Cumberland Bay on the 

 American coast of Davis Strait ; on the coasts of Greenland up to 

 lat. 79"; in Iceland, Spitzbergen, Nova Zembla, and probably 

 Franz Josef Land. In summer it is found in suitable districts 

 throughout Europe north of the Alps, and breeds in Madeira, the 

 Canaries, and North Africa ; whilst in winter it is found almost 

 everywhere in the latter continent. In Asia it is found in summer 

 as far east as the Taimyr peninsula* in the north and Lake 

 Baikal in the south, and breeds in Turkestan and Western Siberia. 

 The Asiatic birds pass south-west by routes hitherto undiscovered 

 to the basin of the Mediterranean and Africa towinter. Von Heuglin 

 is of opinion that the Ringed Plover breeds on the coasts of the 

 Red Sea ; Gould says that he received an example from Australia ; 

 and some writers have asserted that the bird occasionally visits 

 Northern India. All these statements require confirmation. 



* By some authorities this species is said to range east to Behring Strait, 

 but the evidence is not satisfactory, ^gialitis semipalinata probably being 

 mistaken for it. 



