Family — C HARADRIID^. 
Genus— ERYTHROG ON YS. 
Erythrogonys Gould, Synops. Birds Austr., pt. iv., 
pi. 73, 1838 . . . . . . . . . , . . Type E. cinctus. 
Also spelt Erythrogonus id., ib., on Plate. 
Erythrogenys Gray, Cat. Gen. Subgen. Birds, p. Ill, 1855. 
Small Lapwings without spurs or wattles, proportionately long bills, long 
wings, short tail, long legs and feet. The biU is straight, as long as the head, 
with a distinct swollen dertrum ; nostrils short and linear, situated near 
the base of the biU in a groove which extends over two-thirds the length of 
the biU. Wings long with the first primary longest. There is a bony Imob 
at the bend of the wing in place of a spur. Metatarsus long and slender, 
apparently scutellated before and behind with a narrow row of hexagonal 
scales on each side ; middle toe more than half the length of the 
metatarsus; distinct hind toe and claw. Toes only slightly connected at 
the base. This genus is monotypic and confined to AustraUa. 
In the Catalogue of Birds the family Charadriidce included the Turn- 
stones, Oystercatchers, Lapwings, Plovers, Stilts, Ibis-billed Plover, Sandpipers, 
Snipe, and Phalaropes. As already indicated, I cannot accept this collection 
as representing one natural family, and am here restricting the family 
CharadriidcB to the Lapwings and Plovers. The Lapwings seem to form 
quite a natural group which might be considered a subfamily, wh^ile the 
Plovers may be again subdivided. 
Sharpe in the British Museum Catalogue placed aU the species I would 
include in the famUy Charadriidoe in two subfamilies, which he separated 
by means of the nature of the covering of the metatarsus, thus (p. 90) : — 
Lobivanellince : tarsus transversely scaled in front, but reticulated 
behind. 
Charadriince ; tarsus reticulated, or with hexagonal scales both in front 
and behind. 
His third subfamily Peltohyatince, I do not consider closely related. 
Inasmuch as the wattled Lapwings were distributed by means of these 
definitions, some in the Lobivanellince and others in the Charadriince, while 
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