Genus— C HARADRIUS. 
Charadrius Linne, Syst. Nat., 10th ed., p. 150, 1758 Type G. hiaticula. 
Also spelt — 
Charadias Scopoli, Introd. Hist, Nat., p. 475, 1777. 
Charadrias Lacepede, Tabl. Ois., p. 19, 1799. 
JEgialitis Boie, Isis 1822, p. 558 . . . . . . Type C. hiaticula. 
Also spelt — 
Mgialites Kaup, Skizz Entwick-Gesch. Nat. Syst., p. 194, 1829. 
.^gialeus Reichenbach, Nat. Syst. Vogel, p. xviii. . . Type G. semipalmatus. 
Also spelt — 
Mgialus “ Bonaparte,” Gray, Handl. Gen. Spec. Birds, pt. m., p. 16, 1871. 
Hiaticula G. R. Gray, List. Gen. Birds, p. 65, 1840 . . Type G. hiaticula. 
Small Plovers with short Vanelline bills, long wings, short tails and legs, and 
strong feet. The bill is VaneUine, as previously defined, and is much shorter 
than the tarsus and also than the middle toe ; it is particoloured in the adult, 
the tip being black, the base pale flesh. The wing is long with the first primary 
longest. The tail is short and square and less than half the length of the 
wing. The tarsus is short and thick and covered with hexagonal scales. 
The toes are long, the outer being connected with the middle one by a web 
near the base. No hind toe. 
Under the preceding genus I have discussed the black-billed species 
included in JEgialitis in the Gatalogue of Birds, and here propose to criticise 
the particoloured-billed forms. 
JEgialitis hiaticula was included by Gould in his Handb. Birds Austr., 
Vol. II., p. 231, 1865, where he wrote : “ I possess an undoubted Austra- 
lian specimen of this common European species . . . The specimen above 
alluded to was killed at Port Stevens . . The comment upon this in 
the Gat. Birds Brit. Mus., Vol. XXIV., p. 261, footnote, reads, “ Ad. sk. 
Port Stevens, New South Wales.* Gould CoU.” “ * This specimen is the 
authority for including the species in the Australian avifauna. A specimen 
of Lepterodius gularis of Africa was also described by Gould as Herodias 
pannosa from ‘ Port Stevens.’ I have no doubt that the locality is erroneous 
in both cases.” 
123 
