516 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



distinguished by cream edges to innermost median coverts ; no 

 females examined. 



Measurements and structure. — <§ wing 141-155 mm., tail 49- 

 59.5, tarsus 37-41, bill from feathers 19-23 (12 measured). $ wing 

 140-150, bill 20-23 (10 measured). Primaries : 1st minute, 2nd 

 longest, 3rd equal or 2-6 mm. shorter, 4th 7-15 shorter, 5th 15-27 

 shorter, 6th 25-38 shorter. Longest inner secondary between 3rd 

 and 6th primaries. Tail square, central pair longest. Other 

 structure as in C. morinellus. 



Soft parts. — Bill black ; legs and feet light greenish -slate ; 

 iris brown. 



Characters and allied forms. — C. a. veredus (Mongolia, N. China) 

 has under wing-coverts and axillaries uniform smoke-brown. Dis- 

 tinguished by white on inner primaries from C. morinellus, and by 

 rufous or brownish-buff chest-band, white under-parts and greenish 

 feet from other British species. 



Breeding-habits. — Generally found in colonies of about ten pairs 

 on barren clay-flats near salt -lakes. Nest. — Shallow depression in 

 ground with scarcely any lining. Eggs. — Usually 3, probably some- 

 times 4, ochreous-clay, thickly spotted with black. Menzbier and 

 Dresser give measurements as 36.8 X 25.9 and 36.8 X 27.1. Breeding- 

 season. — May. Incubation. — No details. 



Food. — Only insects recorded (coleoptera and cicadse). 



Distribution. — England. — Four or five. Male adult shot and 

 another bird seen near Great Yarmouth (Norfolk), May 22, 1890 

 (Saunders, p. 537). A pair shot Romney Marsh (Sussex), July 13, 

 1911 (H. W. Ford-Lindsay, Brit. B., v, p. 115). Male shot Pevensey 

 (Sussex), March 30, 1914 (J. B. Nichols, op. c, vm, p. 13). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds in south-east Russia and through 

 Khirgiz Steppes to salt-steppes of Turkestan. Winters in west 

 India and Africa. Replaced by subspecies in Mongolia and Man- 

 churia. 



CHARADRIUS HIATICULA 



373. Charadrius hiaticula hiaticula L.— THE RINGED PLOVER. 



Chakadketjs Hiaticula Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 150 (1758 — 



Europe and America. Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Charadrius hiaticula major Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B., m, p. 20 (1885 — 



Seebohm separated, a larger race, supposed to be resident in the British 



Isles). 



JEgialitis hiaticula (Linnaeus), Yarrell, in, p. 257 ; Saunders, p. 539. 



Description. — Adult male. Winter. — Feathers at base of upper 

 mandible, lores and broad band passing below eye across ear-coverts 

 black ; fore-head and narrow line below eye white ; across fore-part 

 of crown, from eye to eye a broad black band continuous with a 

 black line encircling eye ; from above middle of eye extending 

 almost to nape a whitish streak ; rest of crown hair-brown ; nuchal 



