529 



Baron von Miiller must have been labouring under a mistake. According to Mr. Howard Saunders 

 it has occurred in Spain ; for he writes (Ibis, 1871, p. 386) as follows : — " Of this Plover one half- 

 putrid example hanging up in the market of Cadiz, in February 1868, was the only one I ever 

 saw in Spain." Unfortunately he was unable to preserve this specimen so as to make sure by 

 comparison that his identification was correct ; for it has not been shown to have occurred in 

 Western Europe by any other competent ornithologist. And it would have been interesting had 

 one been able to prove that its range really extends so far to the west ; for hitherto it has only 

 been with certainty known to occur as far west as Italy, where two specimens have been obtained : 

 — one near Rome, in March 1838, recorded by Bonaparte; and the second, which is now in the 

 Sienna Museum, in April 1856. 



It does not appear to have been met with in Greece or Turkey; but Professor von Nordmann 

 states that he found large flocks of this species between Perekop and Simpheropol, and occa- 

 sionally amongst them examples of Hoplopterus spinosus. It appears to be common on the 

 Volga, whence many specimens are from time to time sent, all in full breeding-plumage or in 

 immature dress, as it does not seem to winter there. Sabanaeff met with it in the Ural, where, 

 on the eastern slope, it ranges nearly up to 59^° N. lat., and undoubtedly breeds in the district 

 of Shadrinsk. According to Eversmann the northern limit of its range is about 53° or 50° N. lat.; 

 and Bogdanoff met with it during the autumn between the rivers Ilovat and Medvediza. 



I do not find it recorded from Asia Minor or Palestine, though it may very possibly be met 

 with there during passage, as it is recorded by Mr. C. W. Wyatt (Ibis, 1870, p. 17) as having 

 been found by him on the plain of Er Rahah, in the peninsula of Sinai. It is met with in 

 North-east Africa during the winter season, but is rare. Captain Shelley writes (B. of Egypt, 

 p. 233) : — " This species is sparingly scattered throughout Egypt and Nubia. I only fell in with 

 it twice, between Girgeh and Sioot, killing one of a pair which I saw on the 9th of March, and 

 one on the following day, out of a flock of eight, lower down the river;" and Von Heuglin 

 writes (Orn. N.O.-Afr. p. 997) as follows: — "During the autumn and winter it regularly visits 

 the localities we explored ; it appears in Egypt early in October, and migrates southwards to the 

 savannas of Kordofan, Takah, and Sennaar, usually in flocks of from five to fifteen individuals, 

 each flock keeping close together; and generally they are extremely shy. I observed it during 

 the month of December in places where the plains had been burnt, and in sandy localities around 

 Eahad and Atbara. It appears seldom to settle on the ground, but is usually seen flying swiftly 

 near the ground over the plains, now and again crossing the caravan-roads : and I succeeded in 

 shooting several from horseback as they crossed the road ; for I could not otherwise get within 

 range. Sometimes we heard it utter a shrill, short whistle; but otherwise it uttered no sound." 



To the eastward it is met with as far as India and Turkestan, but is not referred to by any 

 of the travellers in Eastern Siberia. Severtzoff (Turk. Jevotnie, p. 69) says that he met with it 

 throughout Turkestan, except in the south-western part of the country. It is there a partial 

 migrant, and he met with it in the plains to an altitude of 3000 feet above the sea-level. 

 Mr. Blanford did not meet with it in Persia ; but Mr. A. O. Hume (Stray Feathers, i. p. 231) 

 says that " it was often met with in Sindh, chiefly in waste places in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood of cultivation. As a rule this is an upland bird ; and you may occasionally see it near 

 jheels, but it is most common in the neighbourhood of cultivation on waste dry uplands. It 



