40 
Some Piiiijah Hivcr Birds. 
hy the erosion or flooding of sand- banks, which seems to 
form the only check to the excessive increase of the species. 
The egg's are somewhat blunter and less i)vrifoi-in 
than those of the true Plovers, and ai'e very varialile, liaving 
a ground of either stone-colour, buff, or pale greenish grey, 
sparingly speckled and spotted, and very occasionally streaked 
with brown and pale lilac. The average of 44 eggs measured 
is 26. S X 20.9 mms., the length varying from 24.7 to 29 
mms., and the breadth from It) to 21.'.) mms. They are laid 
in April and May. 
Both sexes are alike and ai'e thus described by Blan- 
ford "Fauna of British India — Birds," Vol. IV., p. 216: — 
Upper plumage throughout pale sandy grey ; forehead brovvii, 
and a band from the eye along the lower edge of the lores black ; 
pninarj' coveits and primary biackish, all the primaries except the lirst. 
two Witl' part of the inner web white, and some of the latter primaries 
with pari of ihe edge of the outer web also white ; secondaries white, 
with biackish-brown ends that diminish in breadth on the inner quilis ; 
upper tail coverts white ; tail white at base, blackish towards the enj, 
me biack ends much longer on the middle reetrices ; the tips, except on 
the outer pair of tail feathers pale brown and white ; chin white ; throat 
foTcneck, and upper breast more or less smoky brown tinged with rufous, 
passing into white on the lower breast ; abdomen and under tail coverts, 
white ; edge of wing whitish ; wing lining and auxilliaries black. 
Terminal half of bill black, basal half red, changing to yellowish 
brown at the gapj ; irides dark brown ; feet, legs, and claws, black. 
Length ti.;") ins.; uiiig b.lb ins.; bill from gape .75 ins. 
To this description I have to add that there is a white 
spot behind the eye, and a fringe of white feathers on the 
eyelids, save in front where these feathers are black. 
The nestling has the skin dark plumbeous, covered 
with down as follows: Upper parts dirty white tinged 
with yellowish, and speckled with dark grey — making a sort 
of pepper-and-salt mixture; underparts, white. Bill dark 
plumbeous grey, blackish at tip; eggtootli white. Feet, dark 
plumbeous grey. Iris, dark brown. 
In the juvenile plumage the upper p»arts throughout 
are blightiy darker than in the adult, being more sooty in 
Lint, the feathers narrowly edged with pale brown giving a 
squamated appearance — this dillerence being most marked on 
the head and nape. The brown forehead mark and the black- 
band on the lores wanting; the feathers round the eyelids are 
