BLACK-HEADED PLOVER. 15 



of France; and M. Crespon, in the "Faune Mericlionale," 

 mentions a female having been killed by M. Lebrun, 

 in Herault, on the 20th. of November, 1840. Hartlaub 

 gives Spain as a locality. 



There is no doubt, however, that it is extremely 

 rare as a European species, and I only introduce it 

 as an accidental visitor, and because it ought to be 

 well known to ornithologists, should it turn up more 

 frequently in the south of Europe. 



The Rev. E. Cavendish Taylor kindly informs me 

 it is very common in Egypt; where, however, it 

 confines itself to the shores and sand banks of the 

 Nile, from which it seems to derive its food. Captain 

 Loche says it occurs only accidentally in Algeria. 



Mr. Taylor says that he generally found it paired 

 in the months of December and January. It was very 

 tame, and when it rose uttered a loud shrill note, 

 from which both it and Ch. spinosus are called by the 

 Arabs Zic Zac. The flesh dark coloured, and not very 

 good eating. 



In the "Ibis," vol. i, p. 52, Mr. Taylor, in his 

 " Reminiscence of Egypt," has the following note about 

 this bird: — "I did not see this very pretty species 

 below Cairo, but above I found it very numerous. 

 Irides dark brown; legs and feet pale blue; toes three 

 in number. This bird enjoys the credit of being the 

 trochilos of Herodotus, which he mentions as living 

 on such terms of intimacy with the crocodile. The 

 account which that veracious historian gives of the 

 entente cordiale between these apparently ill-assorted 

 allies, is as follows: — 'As the crocodile lives chiefly on 

 the river, it has the inside of its mouth constantly 

 covered with leeches; hence it happens that while all 

 other birds and beasts avoid it, with the trochilos it 



