THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Mr. Charles Belcher writes : “So far as I am aware the Hooded Dottrel 
is never seen in Victoria except on the Ocean beach, and never in greater 
numbers than four or five together. Still, it is weU distributed wherever 
there are sandy stretches of beach from Port PhiUip to Cape Otway. The 
nest is built some distance above high water mark, and is a mere hoUow in 
the sand, lined perhaps with a few bits of broken shell. It may sometimes 
be discovered by following the birds footprints. Generally, two eggs are laid, 
sometimes three, and the breeding season is from October to January, being 
considerably later than that of either of the other resident species of cegialitis. 
On the islands of Bass Straits, particularly the Furneaux group, this bird is 
much more plentiful than it is on the mainland beaches. In November, 1901, 
we found it numerous on every one of over twenty islands we visited.” 
The bird figured is a male, and was collected in New South Wales in 
September, 1876. 
This bird was known by Wagler’s name of C. ^nonachus for seventy years, 
when Sharpe revived for it VieiUot’s prior name of C. cucullatus, since which 
time it has been generally known by the latter name. It is somewhat 
noticeable to see that the majority of authors working on the species 
noted that VieiUot’s name was applicable— but none save Lichtenstein made 
use of it. 
The early history of this species is interesting as, though it appears to 
have been met with by the very earliest voyageurs in Tasmania, through an 
extraordinary mistake it escaped recognisable description for forty years. 
One of the hitherto indeterminable puzzles in connection with the 
Charadriiformes is that of Charadrius ruhricollis Gmelin. In the Syst. Nat., 
p. 687, 1789, this is thus described : — 
Ch. supra cinereus, subtus albus, rostro pedibusque incarnatis, cauda remigibusque 
obscuris, capita colloque nigris, macula utrinque ad collum magna quadrata badia. 
Eed-necked Plover, Lath. syn. III., 1, p. 212, n. 19. 
Habitat in terra van Diemen, tringae cincli magnitudine. 
Rostrum apice nigrum ; irides aurantiae ; alis spuriis candor intermixtus. 
This is simply a Latin translation of Latham’s account which reads : — 
Red-necked Plover. Size of the Purre. The bill flesh-coloured : the end black : 
irides orange : head and neck black ; on each side of the neck a large square chestnut 
spot, the size of a silver penny, almost meeting together at the back part ; the upper part 
, of the plumage ash-colour ; with a little mixture of white about the bastard wing ; the 
breast and under parts white ; quills and tail dusky ; legs flesh colour. 
Inhabits the South Seas. Pound in Adventure Bay, Van Diemen’s Land. 
Such a detailed description merited recognition, but though well studied 
it was found inapplicable to every Australian species, and no previous worker 
had been able to fix it on any extra-hmital form. 
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