ES'Ae-US MAGNIROSTRIS.
Large-billed Plover.
CE dien emus mdgnir osiris, GéoffT—Temtó/PkrCoU 387.—-Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d’Hist. Nat., tom. xxiii. p. 251.—IB.
i;, j g g j g g g g j^ fig. II
Charadritis magnirostris, —"Wagl.^Syst. Avium, Charadrius, sp. 3.
Burhinus magnirostris, ö.—Ib. Traité d’Om., p. 547.
yol. ix. p. 341.
IEdicnemus recurvirostris, S ^ i n ^ ^ .
. Carvanaca ^rmet^^fpdgs.
Esacus magnirostris, Qj^£[Gray, List 83.
T his fine species of Plover is tolerably abilndantalong tp^^|f|||^Ar A |d north-western parts of Australia,
where >%!.§^es a preference to the low Hat shores of the sea, on which every receding tide leaves
^^^^mdrine insects, worms and variQiSlllaAdMbf mollusks, which form its natural food; hence we see a
marked difference in the habits of this, bird from those of the true (Edicnemi, with which it was formerly
placedi^^m l t tfebmn^gMMSBion^hed t o i M a a s .open plains and grassy hills, while ,
the Esaeus magnirostfis ^^togifelyjrconhned,, to the sea-beach, and only retir^ml^id^at the breeding-
seasbn to P l^ ^ ^ S ^ e g k s and rear/iil^^^^bMsome yyhereAts feeble offspring may
obtain shelter until they are able to traverse the mud flats and shingly beach. At night it is said to utter a
loud scream or cry, resembling the word Wee-lo, whence its aboriginal name: it is somewhat singular that
l ie sain# n am S ^ ^ ^ ^ f e f i th e (Edicnemus by tlie g i§ iy §W Western Australia, where the pres
e n t lb Q hasfnof'-as yet been seen; thve pry of the two birds being similar is doubtless the cause of their
both being known to^ the natives p f those distant parts of the country by the same appellation, as it is not
unusual for the^i
^ f h e sexes bear a general resemblance, to each other, and the y ju |f| df Ale ,first autumn is only distin-
^uigblciyl^ ^ p feathers b ^ n ^ ^ r g ii i^ w i th grey.
I have been favoured with an egg of this fine bird by Lieut. J . M. R. Ince, R.N., who obtained it at Port
Essington, and as it was not procured, by Mr. Gilbert or m y s e l f i f i t a valuable acquisition to my cabinet.
Ua fMea)lMi and mar^ed^ ^ ^ ^ er. with dhrji - olive^brbwn, some of the
markings being large and bold without assuming any regular fOrai'Tand others mere blotches about an
'§ ® ® § * an jn e ^ ^ J i lm k e r j ^ lije “ p f ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ s t r e a k s a r |fi||j§ € ? a t a haw, a n p ^ e of a crooked or zigzag
form I p l r ^ d inches and a 4 « a ^ W l # a ^ ^ h g froip’ analogy, I
may v^nture to assert th|®^^^fce’ laid at a time.
I and betbw the eye abroad mark o ^ i r ^ ly b i c l i tsSoffinjuKl duwuihi H H H j hi id, the eye
■ lint rhi^hiti. marksbeing «nAmd eiLB BM i fe « pateh of dark blackish brownat the angle of the j& m
A u d i ! ? » « small patch of bja®jh> frown; throat a n ^ fe o f tb b ja c e d n ^ K it e ^ 'h e a d ^ ^ ^ t t jik e upper
Surface light browny the feathers of the head«r^^tJeck with n'r^rrow line of dark broiYrndown the centre;
les’ser’whg-coverts darkffjsg®, tKe'ljgf row crossed wi^wbite p u thr uu, forming a 1 me-along the wing;
remauidj||||he coverts g^ey.tdeepepm^nto bro^wn^lE jii i iijp.es, hrst^geg'Brimaries dark brown at
the b a s j l lp ip , a n d% h jp b the centre, theVemainder1wbite',stained,wifl^browT1 near the tip , tail grey,
cro-1 SurtLwhtW’ ui ur the tip n huty*- d|rk brown ; fore-part o f the'oefiklike the head, but paler; breast
brown^^®--; abdom^sand.understgil-coverts h ^ w h ite ^ iid ^ |a ie 'y e llf.w ^ e y e lid s primrose-yellow;
base o M p f f l l snlphur-ySlow, which?sblour is continued along the s id e l'# the u p p r mandible above the
nostuls, reminder o#|bi bill bl iilf/flrdn^hnion-vtllow-, tarsi and feet"wine-yellow; the upper ridge of
Smg, scales b ^ ^ toes^l^ad-nolour.
The young bird 'is s p i j l r , but has th e |M ® f |® i th e body less defined, the whole of the upper sur-
' mottled brown and grey,. .
The.Pla e represents j iS f f ig & l^ g u id a ypung'Krd’ of the year of ^e. natural size.