487 



To the eastward the present species is found as far as Japan. Mr. Blanford informs me 

 that it does not appear to be common on the Persian plateau, but is more so on the sea-coast and 

 near the Caspian. De Filippi obtained it at Sultaniah, between Tabriz and Kazvin; and Major 

 St. John adds that he once procured it near Yazdikhast in May. Mr. Hume says (7. c.) that he 

 met with it all along the banks of the larger rivers, both in the Punjab and Sindh, occasionally 

 in some of the inland waters of Sindh, and commonly in the Kurrachee harbour, and along the 

 Mekran coast. Dr. Jerdon speaks of it as being generally diffused in India, but preferring the 

 sea-coast to inland waters ; and it is stated by Mr. Holdsworth and Lieut. W. V. Legge to occur 

 in Ceylon, the latter gentleman giving an account of its breeding there. In China it appears 

 to be to some extent resident, and otherwise migratory. Mr. Swinhoe describes a species (I. c.) 

 under the name of JEgialites dealbatus from that country ; but after a careful examination and 

 comparison of that gentleman's specimens, I cannot detect any specific character whereby they 

 can be distinguished from our European Kentish Plover, which is stated by him to be 

 common on the coasts of South China and Formosa during winter, the majority migrating 

 northwards in spring. Pere David says that it is less common in North China than the Lesser 

 Einged Plover ; and Captain Blakiston obtained it at Hakodadi, in Japan, in August. Neither 

 Von Schrenck nor Middendorff records it from Siberia ; but Dr. G. Radde met with it at Tarei- 

 nor in April 1856, and obtained eight specimens; and Pallas states that it frequents the salt 

 lakes of Dauria. According to Messrs. Finsch and Hartlaub, it occurs in the Pelew Islands. In 

 America it is replaced by a closely allied species, JEgialitis nivosa, which differs in having the 

 lores white, and not black as in the present species, in the summer dress ; and even in the imma- 

 ture and winter plumage there is a trace of this dark mark on the lores in the present species 

 and none in JE. nivosa. 



In habits the present species resembles the common Ringed Plover not a little ; but it is 

 much more of a coast-frequenting bird than that species. I used frequently to see small flocks 

 of Kentish Plovers when collecting on the coasts of Kent and Sussex in the autumn some years 

 ago. They were rather tame than wild, unless they had been molested, and ran about in a 

 wavering manner along the shore like the Ringed Plovers, usually amongst the shingle, now and 

 again uttering their call-note. I have never, however, seen or taken the nest of this species, not 

 having had an opportunity of visiting its nesting-haunts during the breeding-season. The men 

 who collect eggs on the shores told me that the nest is a mere depression in the sand or shingle, 

 sometimes a little distance from the true shore, in sandy places, and then occasionally in a place 

 where it is slightly concealed, but more frequently quite in an open situation, and the eggs, four 

 in number, are placed with the pointed ends towards the centre. The best notes on the nidifi- 

 cation of this bird that are known to me are those by Baron von Droste HiilshofF, who found it 

 breeding numerously on the island of Borkum, and from whose work (Vogelw. Bork. pp. 154-157) 

 I extract the following information. The Kentish Plover is very common on Borkum during 

 the breeding-season, and is scattered throughout the dunes. The nest is placed both in the 

 thickly overgrown dunes and in the large bare sandy tracts, as well as in the inner portions of 

 the dunes, where rushes, grass, brambles, and Ononis reptans grow thickly ; and he never met 

 with it on the outer sands, as stated by Naumann, nor did he find the nest in an open situation, 

 but often in the middle of a bunch of wild oats or amidst willow-shoots, though never so care- 



