Family CHARADRIID^. Genus ^gialophilus. 



Subfamily Charadriinm. 



KENTISH SAND PLOVER. 



^GIALOPHILUS CANTIANUS— (Za^'^flw). 



Geographical Distribution.— -S^V/j-^ .• One of the most 

 local of British birds, its only known breeding places being on 

 the sandy portions of the coasts of Kent and Sussex. Even here 

 the greed of collectors is rapidly exterminating it as a nesting 

 species. It is a summer visitor to the British Islands, and has 

 only occurred accidentally in all districts except the two above 

 mentioned. It has been observed on the east coast of England 

 as far north as Flamborough, and on the south coast as far west 

 as Cornwall. Unknown in Scotland, and of very rare occurrence 

 in Ireland. Breeds freely on the Channel Islands. Foreign : 

 Breeds only on the coasts and salt lakes of the Palsearctic region ; 

 Ethiopian and parts of the Oriental regions in winter. Summer 

 visitor to the coasts of Western Europe from the south of Sweden 

 to France, but rare on the Baltic coasts. Resident on the coasts 

 and lagoons of the Spanish peninsula, the Azores, Canaries, 

 Madeira, and both the north and south coasts of the Mediterranean. 

 Eastwards it visits in summer the salt marshes of South Russia, 

 the shores of the Black, Caspian, and Aral Seas, the salt lakes of 

 Turkestan, South Dauria, and Mongolia. The migratory in- 

 dividuals in Europe winter on the coasts of Africa, south to the 

 Cape Colony, whilst the migratory Asiatic individuals winter on 

 the Mekran coast, India, Ceylon, Burma, the Malay peninsula, 

 China, and Japan. 



Allied Forms. — ^gialophilus cantianus minutus, an inhabitant 

 of the southern shores of the Red Sea and Ceylon. Differs from 

 the Kentish Plover in being smaller, and in having paler legs. 

 Length of wing 4^2 to 37 inches, instead of 4^5 to 4'i inches. 



