LOBIVANELLUS. 



199 



According to Legge examples from Ceylon are slightly smaller than those from the Variations. 

 mainland. The former vary in length of wing from 7"7 to 7 - 8 inch, and the latter from 

 7"6 to 8*0 inch. Possibly a larger series might prove that the conclusion was an error. 



Charadrius malabricus, Boddaert, Tabl. PL Enl. no. 880, p. 53 (1783). 

 Charadrius bilobus, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. i. p. 691 (1788). 

 Sarciophorus bilobus (GmeL), Strickland, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1841, p. 33. 

 Sarciophorus fuscus, Hodgson, Gray's Zool, Misc. 1844, p. 86. 

 Lobipluvia biloba {GmeL), Bonaparte, Compt. Rend, xliii. p. 418 (1856). 

 Chettusia biloba {GmeL), Finsch, Proc. Ac. Philad. 1872, p. 32. 

 Sarciophorus malabaricus {Bodd.), Holdsworth, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1872, p. 472. 

 Lobipluvia malabarica [Bodd.), Hume, Nests and Egys Ind. Birds, iii. p. 577 (1875) 



Synonymy. 



Plates.— Daub. PI. Enl. no. 880. 



Habits. — Legge, Birds of Ceylon, p. 966. 



Eggs. — Hume, Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds, iii. p. 577. 



Literature. 



Buffon's Wattled Lapwing when adult may be distinguished from its two congeners, 

 which, like it, have neither spur nor hind toe, by its black chin, and at all ages by its white 

 outer tail-feathers. 



It breeds on most of the dry uplands throughout India and Ceylon, and has once 

 occurred in Scinde (Le Messurier, Stray Feathers, iii. p. 417), and once in Burma (Blan- 

 ford, Ibis, 1870, p. 470). Like most birds breeding in tropical climates it lays its eggs 

 much earlier in some localities than in others. Hume says that in India it lays in April 

 and May ; but Legge states that in Ceylon it breeds in June and July. 



It seems both structurally and geographically to be a connecting-link between 

 L. cinereus in Mongolia and the representatives of that species on the African continent, 

 L. senec/alensis and L. lateralis, especially when immature examples, before they have 

 acquired the black on the crown and throat, are compared. In general appearance it very 

 closely resembles its Mongolian ally, but it has lost its hind toe and greatly developed its 

 facial wattle. It appears to be almost as nearly related to its African allies, which, like 

 it, have greatly developed their wattles, but, unlike it, they have also developed formidable 

 metacarpal spurs, and have retained the ancestral hind toe. 



Specific 

 characters. 



Geographi- 

 cal distribu- 

 tion. 



Nearest 

 allies. 



