OCHTHODROMUS [NORNATUS (Gould). 



ALLIED DOTTREL. Gkncs : Ochtiiodkomts or ^Eoialitbs. 



OV this bird nothing is known with any certainty. Gilbert spoke of it as being plentiful on the 

 sandy points and bays in the neighbourhood of Port Essington, and Gould had two examples of 

 it in his possession for some years. He saw it was a near congener of the Ochthodromus Wilsoni of 

 North America, of which he considered it a beautiful representative, and later naturalists have 

 ascertained thai its range extends to New South Wales, but beyond this scant knowledge nothing 

 more is known. Dr. Ramsay, in his " List of Australian Birds," adds a note that this may 

 be /Egi'ilitcs Jcnlnni, Legge, P.Z.S., 1880, p. 39; in "Birds of Ceylon," p. 1)59 (Salvad., Orn. Pap. et 

 Moluc TIL, p. :?03). 



The summer and winter plumage differ in brightness, the latter being more sombre. 



"The male in summer has the forehead white, above which is a stripe of black; all the upper 

 surface pale greyish-brown ; crown of the head, rufous, which colour is continued on the back and sides 

 of the neck, and. inciting on the centre of the breast, forms a pectoral band; wings, dark brown; the 

 coverts and secondaries margined and tipped with white; the shafts of the primaries are also white; 

 rump, white ; six central tail feathers, dark brown, tipped with white ; the lateral feathers, white, tinged 

 with brown in the centre; lores, line below the eye and ear-coverts, black; chin, throat, and all the 

 under surface, white ; irides, dark brown ; bill, blackish-grey ; tarsi, light ash-grey ; feet, greenish-grey." 

 (Gould.) 



The winter plumage differs in wanting the rufous tints about the head, neck, and breast ; 

 in the ear-coverts being brown ; and in having a brown patch like the commencement of a band on 

 either side of the chest." ( Gould.) 



Habitat: New South Wales. 



GENUS ERYTHROGONYS (Gould). 



T M HIS genus is represented by one species which is peculiar to Australia. In structure, actions, and 

 J- economy it stands as a link between the dilgialites on the one hand, and the Schcsnicli on the other. 



i 



ERYTHROGONYS CINCTUS (Gould). 



RED-KNEED DOTTREL. Genus: Erythrogonys. 



rnHE habits of the Red-kneed Dottrel are in exact opposition to those of the Hooded Dottrel, for 

 J- whereas the former is never found about the coast, the latter has an equal disinclination to the interior. 



From the fact that this is a summer visitant to New South Wales, we may infer that it is of 

 migratory habits — habits, too, that are dependent upon the kind of season that may occur. Its natural 

 inclinations leading it to frequent the borders of lagoons, muddy flats, and the banks of rivers, should 

 droughts occur, the bird wings its way to rainy countries. As a rule two are seen together, male and 

 female, searching in muddy banks for the insects on which they live. 



