VISCOUNT WALDEN ON THE BIEDS OF CELEBES. 



89 



2Egialites, Boie. 

 141. ^Egialites dubius (Scop.), Del. Faun, et Fl. Insub. ii. p. 93. no. 81 (1786), ex 



Sonn. Voy. Nouv. Guin. p. 84, pi. 46, "Luzon." 

 Charadrius philippinus, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 745. no. 11 (1790), ex Sonn. I. c. 



alexandrius, Hasselq. var. S, Gm. S. N. ed. 12, i. p. 684, ex Sonn. I. c. 



philippinus, Scop. (!), Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Cursores, p. 28. 



? JEgialites minutus (Pall.), ap. Jerdon, Birds Ind. iii. p. 641. 



Hab. Ayer-pannas, 6th of August (Von Rosenberg). 



A Celebean example of a Ring-Plover, collected by Von Rosenberg, has been 

 identified by Professor Schlegel (I. c.) with Le petit Pluvier a collier de Lupon of 

 Sonnerat ; and he has further united it with the Lesser Ring-Plover of Europe. A 

 Philippine Ring-Plover has also been identified by Dr. von Martens (J. fur O. 1866, 

 p. 26) with the European bird, i. e. C. curonicus, Gm. (ex Beseke, Schr. Berl. Gesellsch. 

 nat. Freunde, vii. p. 463. no. 48, who gave no title) — the C. minor, Meyer, of recent 

 authors. In India, besides C. curonicus (=C. minor, or else C. intermedius, Menetr., if 

 really distinct), another small Ring-Plover occurs, the M. minutus (Pall.) ap. Jerdon, a 

 species distinct from C. curonicus, Gm. ; and the question arises whether this is not 

 the species Sonnerat figured. As is the case in India, it is not impossible that both 

 species inhabit the Philippines and also Celebes. Without inquiring into the validity 

 of C. minutus, Pallas, and whether or not it indicates only G. curonicus in young 

 plumage, as maintained by O. Finsch and Hartlaub (Orn. Ost-Afr. p. 661), these 

 gentlemen seem to have been somewhat hasty in identifying Sonnerat's bird with 2E. 

 curonicus (Gm.). Sonnerat states that the bill and feet are " noiratres." Both Sonnerat 

 and Buffon (Hist. Nat. viii. p. 93), who refers to Sonnerat's Philippine specimen, say 

 that the Philippine species differs but little from the European Little Ring-Plover. 

 But both those authors included it also among North- and South-American species, 

 and Buffon hardly recognized the specific distinctness of JE. hiaticula. 



2E. minutus (Pall.) ap. Jerd., is a smaller and more delicately formed species. In 

 plumage it closely resembles JE. curonicus, but has the head-markings better defined 

 than those of any example of that species I have as yet seen. Its chief distinction is to 

 be found in the smallness of the feet and shortness of the legs. A Katmandoo specimen 

 has the legs dark reddish brown, instead of yellow. It behoves naturalists in India to 

 investigate these differences. I am inclined to believe in there being two species, but 

 have not been able to examine a sufficiency of individuals to form a decided opinion. 

 Should the Philippine smallest Ring-Plover prove identical with the European C. curo- 

 nicus, Gm., both will have to take the title of dubius, Scop. 



JE. minutus (Pall.) ap. Jerd, may be identical with Charadrius pusillus, Horsf. 

 Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii, p. 187, ex Java. 



vol. vm. — paet ii. May, 1872. 



