234 H:^MAT0PODID^. 



from tbe lower mandible, and getting lost on the neck, whence spring 

 a black demicollar not extending on the upper surface of the neck, 

 which, like the head, is white with dark streaks j back of neck white, 

 extending down the sides between the black demicollar and sides of 

 the breast; chin white ; throat and breast deep black; upper back and 

 scapulars blacky the feathers broadly edged and tipped with red rust 

 colour; some wholly so, especially the scapulars; lesser and median 

 wing-coverts black, broadly edged and tipped with bright rust colour; 

 the tips of the greater or secondary coverts white, forming a wing 

 band ; quills black ; the inner webs, and part of the outer webs 

 of the last two or three, basally white ; secondaries like the quillsj but 

 broadly white on their inner webs, and also narrowly tipped white ; 

 tertials dark brown, edged and tipped with rusty ; back, entire lower 

 surface belo.w the breast, and upper tail-coverts white; rump with a 

 patch of black ; tail as in the winter plumage ; bill black ; iiides deep 

 brown ; legs orange yellow. 



Length. — 8 to 8'5 inches, wing 6, tail 2'5. 



Hah. — India generally, along the sea shores, and sometimes inland 

 along the banks of large rivers. Its geographical range is very wide, 

 being found in Europe, America, and Africa, and throughout Asia, in 

 suitable localities. In Sind it is extremely common in the Karrachee 

 harbour and at the mouths of the Indus. It occurs also on the Sambhur 

 lake, and on the banks of the river at Poona, in the Deccan ; also on 

 the Beloochistan Coast and in the Persian Gulf. 



Dromas, Pnyk. — Bill long, lower mandible strongly angulated ; 

 tarsus long ; wings reach beyond the tip of the tail ; feet webbed ; hind 

 toe long and slender, 



Dromas ardeola, Povkl. Handlist, Ac Vet. Storkhlm. t. 8; Jard. 

 and Selbij, III. Orn. pi. 157 ; Jerd. B. Lid. iii. p. 658 ; Str. F. ii. 293 ; 

 vii. 186; viii. 383; Murray, Hdhk., Zool., Sec, Sind, ip. 212. — The 

 Crab Plover. 



Whole head, neck all round, chin, throat, breast, entire lower parts, 

 back, upper and lower tail-coverts and upper tertials white ; generally 

 a dark breal spot; mantle and interscapulars black; primaries and 

 secondaries black, their inner webs white ; greater wing-coverts black ; 

 tail reddish ashy, as also are some of the tertials near their tips ; bill 

 black, 2'o inches in length ; irides brown. 



Length. — 15 to lo'5 inches, wing 8-75 to 9, tail 2^. 



Hab. — Indian coasts, Africa, Red Sea, Seychelles, Madagascar, 

 Beloochistan Coast and the Persian Gulf. Common in Sind in the 

 Kurrachee harbour. Breeds in the Persian Gulf near Bushire. Mr. Hume 

 has given an account of its nidification in vols. vii. and viii. of 

 Str. Feathers. There is no nest, and the eggs are laid in a burrow about 

 4 feet deep in the loose sand ; but whether this is dug by the bird, or 

 is that of a crab, is still a question, the holes being, it is said, too 

 narrow to admit the bird. 



