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Show 1870.] MR. R. SWINHOE ON CHINESE PLOVERS. 139 lower mandible, and also in some a paleness of the tarse, both of which by a little intensifying would produce the results characterizing our species. Judging from these, I should consider that it is not long since our southern residents separated from their northern brethren, and remained behind to colonize the coast of the south. If the separation be so recent, it is rather curious that the southern residents receive each winter the visits of their northern brethren without inducing any of the latter to abide with them, or without being induced themselves to return to the home of their forefathers. Want of strength to return to the north may have induced the first individuals to settle in the south; and their offspring may naturally have preferred to continue in their birthplace, in the warm climate they had been reared in. For the sake of comparison with the above Chinese bird, I will add a notice on a specimen of AEg. nivosa (Cassin), o*, from Peru in summer dress, from Mr. Harting's collection. Bill in front *65 inch; wing 4; tarse 1. Bill and legs shorter and more slender than in JEg. cantianus. Wants the loral black streak. Wings shorter. Has a washed-out appearance on the upper parts. Crown only tinged with chestnut. Legs paler. From JEg. dealbatus it differs in its much smaller bill, and shorter tarse and toes-but, like it, seems to be only a climatal race of AEg. cantianus, derived probably in a similar way. JEgialites niveifrons (Cuv., Less. Tr. d'Ornith. p. 543) of South Africa appears to be another analogous derivative of the same main species. I was at first under the impression, that JEgialites perronii (Miiller) of Java was another race of AEg. cantianus. But in this I am mistaken. Dr. Schlegel, of Leyden, has kindly supplied me with a specimen in the summer and another in the winter plumage, and I will here briefly note their peculiarities. Charadrius perronii, Miiller, Verhandl. Rather smaller than JEg. minor, with a thicker bill, longer tarse, and shorter wing. Summer plumage.-Has a narrow black band over the white forehead. The loral streak is black, but does not meet over the bill, nor does it stretch under the eye ; ear-coverts black. The frontal black is not edged posterior^ with white ; but there is a white line above the ear-coverts. The crown is pale chestnut-brown, as in AEg. cantianus, with a broad white nuchal collar, succeeded by a broad black band, which retains its breadth to the sides of the breast, but becomes very narrow across the breast. The back and wings are light brown tinged with rufous. The greater wing-coverts and secondary quills are edged with white; and the shafts of the primaries, with the tips of the inner ones, are white. The tail-coverts and the six central tail-feathers are blackish brown. The two outer tail-feathers are pure white; the third pale brown edged with white. The bill is black, with a spot of pale ochreous at the base of the lower mandible. The legs look as if they had been pale yellowish brown. Length of adult male about 6 inches; wing 3*85 ; tail 2; bill in front *56 ; tarse 1; middle toe (claw *17) '75. |