CHARADRITJS. 



139 



It is a resident in southern and eastern Australia, frequenting the rivers rather than 

 the coast. It is not seen north of Port Denison, nor in Western Australia, nor in 

 Tasmania, but has occurred once in India (near Madras). 



It appears to be a considerably modified C. minor, and, like that species, to vary very 

 slightly with sex or season. 



Geographi- 

 cal distribu- 

 tion. 



Subgenus ^EGIALOPHILUS. 



Charadb.ii cauda non fascist nigrescente prope apicem ornata : primariarum interiorum pogoniis Diagnosis of 

 externis ad basin albis. subgenus. 



The Sand-Plovers form a well-defined subgeneric group, of which the Kentish Plover 

 (C. cantianus) may be regarded as the type. They may be briefly diagnosed as having the 

 base of the outer web of the innermost primaries white (which forms a white wing-patch, 

 somewhat similar to, though more basal than, that of C. hiaticula and its allies), but having 

 no black subterminal band across the tail. The latter is either entirely absent or is so 

 rudimentary as to consist of only a darker shade across some of the feathers, whilst the 

 broad white tips are only represented by a narrow pale margin. 



All the Sand-Plovers have white axillaries and white bellies, but none of them have 

 a hind toe. 



Subgeneric 

 characters. 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 



(during the breeding-season). 



Major es. 



C. ASIATICUS 

 C. MONGOLICUS 



Pal^arctic Region. 



South. 



Caspian Basin. 

 Mongolia. 



Minores. 



C. CANTIANUS. 



Ethiopian Region. 



St. Helena. C. sanct^-helen^e. 



Inland plains . C. pecuarius. 



West Africa to Madagascar C. tenelltts. 



South Africa. C. marginatum. 



t2 



