THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
while that of L. iniles is fuUer and more musical, but it required a bit of 
study to distinguish between the two.”* 
“ These birds live in large flocks up till the middle of July, when they 
separate into pairs. They are very regular in their time of nesting [in the 
Mudgee district] ; eggs from about the 1st to 14th August. They pack again 
on November 19th.”t 
“ Shooting begins 1st February, ends 30th June [in Tasmania]. The 
Black-breasted Plover is more familiar to most people than the species pre- 
viously discussed [Lohibyx novce-hollandice]f as it is the one more frequently 
exposed for sale during the open season, and also it resorts to cultivated land 
in the vicinity of homesteads. Whereas the Spur-winged Plover is hardly 
ever found away from more or less marshy ground, the species now under 
review frequents grass lands and cultivated fields impartially. In some 
districts at certain times of the year it is rather common, moving in fairly 
large flocks. 
“ It moves over . the ground very fast. When feeding it will run a short 
distance, stop, then hurry on a little further.”! 
Again, as the species is confined to Australia there is little trouble in 
connection with its nomination. Described as Charadrius tricolor by Vieillot 
in 1818, this name was ignored in favour of the later G. pectoralis of Wagler, 
of 1827, though the former name was generally quoted in the synonymy, 
until Sharpe, in the Cat. Birds Brit. Mus.^ Vol. XXIV., 1896, restored to its 
right place VieilloFs name. At the same time Sharpe noted that the genus- 
name Sarciophorus did not rightly belong to this species and therefore 
introduced the generic name Zonifer for it alone. 
Thus, at one move, Sarciophorus pectoralis became Zonifer tricolor^ and 
as a striking example of the ease with which the most distressing innovations 
can be utilised, since 1896 no writer has offered to revert to the older name, 
and Zonifer tricolor is now as familiar as ever the previous name was. 
Its only synonym, other than the one noted, is Charadrius vaneUoides 
of Peale. 
•Bemey, Emu, Vol. VI., p. 112, 1907. 
f CJox and Hamilton, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., 2nd sor., Vol. IV., p. 419, 1889. 
J Littler, Handb. Birds Tasm., p. 126, 1910. 
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