Order CHARADRIIF0RME8 
No. 177. 
Family CHARADRIIDM. 
LEUCOPOUUS RUFICAPILLUS TORMENTI. 
PALE KED-CAPPED DOTTEREL. 
(Plate 138.)* 
Charadrius RUEicAPiLLirs TORMENTI Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 217, 1912; 
North-west Australia. 
JEgialitis ruficapillibs Halting, Proc. Zool. Soc. (Lond.) 1874, p. 459 ; Keartland, Trans. 
Roy. Soc. South Austr., Vol. XXII., p. 186, 1898 ; Hartert, Nov. Zool., Vol. XII., 
p. 201, 1905 ; Ogilvie-Grant, Ibis 1910, p. 181 ; Carter, Emu, Vol. III., p. 176, 
1904 
Charadrius ruficapillus tormenti Mathews, Nov Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 217, 1912. 
Distribution. West and North-west Austraha ; Northern Territory. 
Adult male, in summer-plumage. General colour above pale reddish-brown including 
the back, wings, scapulars, and long innermost secondaries ; bastard-wing, primary- 
coverts and quiUs dark brown, the latter paler brown on the inner webs and the 
shafts white ; secondaries grey with the basal and apical portions white, this colour 
increasing in extent on the inner ones ; upper tail-coverts and tail darker than 
the back ; hinder-crown, hind-neck, and sides of neck bright chestnut ; a black 
band across the upper forehead, which is continued backward over the eye ; ear- 
coverts black, as also a patch on the sides of the neck ; forehead, cheeks, throat, 
and entire under-surface white, including the under wing-coverts, axillaries, and 
under tail-coverts ; bill black, iris deep brown, tarsi and feet dull black. Total 
length 164 mm. ; culmen 14, wing 108, tail 43, tarsus 29. 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male, but everywhere duller, the black band on the 
upper forehead very slightly indicated, the chestnut of the head and hind-iieck 
only faintly pronounced, ear-coverts brown instead of black, as also the patch 
on the sides of the neck; wing 105. 
Adults in winter-plumage have no black on the forehead. A patch in front of the 
eye and on the side of the breast brown. 
Immature. Similar to the adult in winter-plumage, but the white of the forehead not 
so pronounced and the feathers of the upper-surface edged with buff. 
Young. Slightly darker on the upper-surface than the adult with minute dark shaft-hnes 
and very narrow rufous edgings to the feathers ; upper tail-coverts inclining to 
dark brown ; head hke the back ; no black line across the upper-forehead ; a 
dusky streak on the lores ; ear-coverts hke the head ; forehead, throat, and under- 
parts generally white. 
Nest. A depression by the shore. 
Eggs. Similar to those of the eastern bird, but the ground-colour darker. 
Breeding-season. September (Rogers), May (Carter). 
VOL. in. 
* The Plate is lettered Charadrius ruficapillus. 
121 
