THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
mature specimens of Lobivanellus Idbatiis of Sharpe (now Lohibyx novcB- 
hollandice) answered better to the diagnosis of liis Peltohyatince than to that 
of Lohivanellince, of which subfamily it was the typical form, some attempt 
at emendation was compulsory. 
In the Geographical Distribution of the Charadriidce, Seebohm considered as 
of generic rank, aggregations which must be now recognised as of much 
greater value. He there utilised Charadrius for the Plovers, splitting the 
Lapwings into two genera — Vanellus and Lobivanellus — separating these by 
means of the wattles, though he admitted this was an arbitrary and 
unsatisfactory di\usion. There can be little doubt that the Lapwings form 
a natural group of sedentary birds almost confined to the Tropics and 
sub-Tropics, with a few scarce stragglers ranging to the Temperate Zone. 
They present a somewhat uniform appearance and are notable for the 
possession of crests, facial wattles, or spurs, or some combination of these. 
When the spur is absent there still persists a bony knob at the bend of the 
wing. Examination of the metatarsus-covering of the Australian Lapwings 
led to the criticism of aU the Lapwings ; and the fact being noted that thej^ 
seemed to show variation in this respect, all the juvenile-specimens available 
were carefully examined, with the following interesting results : all the 
young Lapwings I have yet noticed show a metatarsus having the front 
covered with transverse scutes, the sides and back being covered with 
hexagonal scales, the middle row of the back somewhat larger. As growth 
progresses, in some species the transverse frontal-plates break up while the 
hexagonal side- and back-covering remains unchanged : by this means a 
metatarsus apparently reticulated throughout is visible in the mature bird. 
In other species the juvenile-features do not alter, and a metatarsus 
scutellated in front and reticulated behind is observed. In others, the 
frontal aspect remains transversely scuted, while the hexagonal scales on 
the back fuse so as to give the appearance of scaling on the hind surface. 
Examination of a few specimens of almost any Lapwing will show these 
processes ; it should be noted that the same process is constant^ followed in 
a species. 
The young of Plovers generally have the metatarsus reticulate through- 
out, and commonty the adults show the same characters. I will deal 
with the exceptions later when writing about these birds. Sharpe’s subfamily 
Lobivanellince included the genus Oreophilus. This South American genus is 
not a Lapwing though it has the metatarsus scutellated in front : it is easily 
separated from these by means of its very long-pointed wing and long thin 
bill which is present in the nestling, when it is quite unlike that of a 
juvenile Lapwing. It might be noted that Gray {Handl. Gen. Species Birds 
32 
