^SACUS. 231 



Hoplopterus ventralis, Ciw. ; Gray, III. Ind. Zool. pi. 63 ; Jani: 

 B. Ind. iii. p. 650, No. 857; Sti: F. vol, iii. 181; vi. 457; Murray, 

 Ildbk., Zool., ^'c, Bind, p. 211. — The Spuh-winged Lapwing. 



Head, crest, lores, sides of the face, as far as the middle of the eye, 

 chin, throat, and foreneck black ; a white streak from behind the eye on 

 each side meeting on the nape, bordering the black feathers of the 

 hind ci'own and nape; cheeks white, the white extending on to the 

 upper breast all round, enclosing the black of the foreneck and form- 

 ing a pectoral patch ; breast below, back^ scapulars and tertials pale 

 brown; shoulder of the wing black; primaries black; secondaries 

 basally white, tipped and edged with black, the black decreasing in 

 extent on the hinder feathers ; greater wing-coverts white, forming 

 a conspicuous wing band ; upper and under tail-coverts and entire 

 under surface white, except a patch on the middle of the abdomen ; tail 

 white, broadly terminated with black. 



Length. — 12 inches, wing 7*75 to 8, tail 4 to 4-2, bill at front I'll; 

 bill black, irides deep brown, legs blackish, tinged with reddish. 



Hah. — Northern India generally, Punjab, N. W. Provinces, Oudh, 

 Bdiigal, andOentrallndia, along the sandy banks of rivers; also in Pegu 

 and Nepaul. It is rare in Sind. A single specimen was got by Mr. W. 

 WalUnger on the banks of the Indus near Baggatora, who also mentions 

 having seen it on the Aral near Sehwan. 



Sub-Family, ESACINiE,— Stone Plovees. 



Bill strong and thick; no hind toe; nostrils linear, in a groove near 

 the base of the bill ; gonys strongly angulated. 



Gen. .ffisacus. 



Bill long, sub-curved, the lower edge of the under mandible wide 

 in the middle, then curving to a point. 



.ffisacus reeurvirostris, Guv.; G. R. Gray, M. ff. I?, pi. 142; 

 Jerd. B. Ind. iii. p. 652, No. 858; Str. F. vol. v. p. 121; Murray, 

 Hdbk., Zool., Sfc, Bind, p. 211. (Earwanalc, Chota Taloor, Sind). — 

 The Large Stone Plover. 



Foi'ehead and a broad line down the sides of the face white ; a 

 broad dark streak on each side from the base of the lower mandible ; 

 feathers round and behind the eye white, broadly bordered with dark 

 brown; chin, throat, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white; top of 

 head, neck behind, back, scapulars and tertials pale brown, the feathers 

 distinctly dark-shafted ; neck in front white, in some specimens 

 obtained in April greyish brown; the breast ashy, contrasting with the 

 pure white of the rest of the under surface ; primaries black, the first 

 three quills with a patch of white on their terminal third, and the last 

 three basally and at tip white, with a subterminal black band ; lesser 

 wing-coverts dark brown ; median and greater coverts pale greyish 

 brown, the latter white tipped; secondaries dark brown, their inner webs 

 white ; tail pale brown at base, with a subterminal white baud and a 



