THE SAND-fLOVERS. 
163 
base of forehead, lores, feathers above and below eye. and 
ear-coverts black ; a broad frontal band of white, fo^^e^ed by 
another band of black above the eye, which is again succeeded 
by another black line, which widens out above the eye and 
forms a distinct eyebrow; hinder crown as far as the nape 
ashy-brown; round the neck a broad white collar, continuous 
with the white throat, and followed by a broad band of black on 
the lower hind-neck, continued right across the fore-neck, and 
widening out on the sides ; cheeks, throat, and under surface 
of body pure white, including the under wing-coverts and axil- 
laries; bill dusky-black; feet flesh-colour; ins dusky-brown; 
rim round the eye bright yellow. Total, mches . ^ulmei , 
0-6; wing, 4-6; ‘ail, 2-35 ; tarsus, I’o; middle toe and claw. 
Adult Female. — Similar to the male, but with the markings 
not so well developed, especially the black markings of the 
face and the bands on the hind-neck and fore-neck, the ^tter 
being much mixed with brown ; bill black ; feet pale flesh- 
colour; iris dark brown; ring round the eye bright yellow. 
Total length, 6'5 inches; wing, 4-6. 
Young.— Differs from the adult in wanting the black on the 
head as well as the black collars on the mantle and fore-neck. 
The general tone of the plumage is more rufescent than in the 
adults, and the whole of the upper surface is varied with ryavy 
lines of pale sandy-buff, before which a sub-terminal dusky ^r , 
the forehead is pale sandy-buff; ear-coverts dusky-blackish. The 
collar on the fore-neck is composed of brown feathers, generally 
with a tinge of sandy-buff on the throat. The black markings on 
the head and the black collars are gained by a moult in the 
following spring. There appears to me to be also a change of 
feather, especially on the neck-collar. 
Characters.— The Little Ringed Sand-lflover is a decidedly 
smaller bird than the Ringed Sand-Plover (/E. hiaticola), and 
has a black bill with only a little yellow on the base of the ower 
mandible. The wing does not exceed five inches in length. It 
can also be distinguished by the white shaft being found only on 
the first primary. This last character will serve to denote the 
species at all ages. 
Range in Great Britain. — A rare visitor, of which Mr. Hou ard 
M 2 
