SQUATAROLA HELVETICA,
Grey Plover.
Tringa Helvetica, lam. Syst,;,Nat., vol. L p=. 250—Gmel. Edit., vol. i. p. 676. •
Vanelhs Helveticus, Briss. Orn., vol. v. p. 106. tab. 10. fig. 1 —Id. 8vo,-voL ii. p. 239.
Charadrius hypomelas, Pall. Reise, y o l.^ ^ p 699.
Vanneau de Suisse, Buff. PI. Enl., S53—lb. Hist, des Ois., tom. viii. p. 60.
Swiss Sandpiper, Lath. Gen. Syn., p. 24tjjfe>. Gen. Hist., vol. ix. p. 270. ‘
Tringa Sguahairola, Linn. Paun;, GmeL Edit. Linn,. S y s t-N a ^ ^ ^ ^ p . 682.
V^ ti^ zgfiseiis, Briss^Qm^i^oJ^ ^ ^ LOO. 1$|§JI^§f|/U
-— *m e la n o g a s te r ,^ ^ ^ ^ ^m ^ . ]^am A ; 2 n d { E d f y ' ; ® i | p. 647.—Horsf. in T.imr
Trap., vollfegtn^TKjs fi. - j
Vameau Pluvier, Buff. J5h Enl.^ S64.—Ib. Hist, des. ■ &
Grey Plover akd- Gfrey Sandpiper of British authors. . j
Squatarola helvetica, Guv—Lisjt' of JBirds^ihjBHt. Mus. Coll., part iii. p. 62.
I h4ve compared specimens* of this bird killed, in Australia with others obtained in India, North America
and Europe, a n ^ ^ ^ h % ^ a l^ ^ ^ ^ | 'id e n t iq # ^ ' 1 haveme&er seen an Australian specimen with the rich
black colouring of the under s u r fa ^ w ^ h reMe|s Asiatic, American’ and European specimens so con-
spicuous in the summer oi; breeding-season, hence we may infer that it is only the young birds that migrate
so far to the southward as Australia; I say migrate, because I do not believe that it breeds in that country',
but that it is merely an occasional or accident|l^gb|^ The specimens I possess are from distant parts of
the, eastern and %^%her frp^n^he western colonies.
Although it rather affects the low muddy shores' of the sea-coast and the mouths of large rivers, and is
seldom seen so far inland as the Golden Plover ( Charadrimpluvialis'), it has many habits in common with
that species, and undergoes-^similar changes of plamage. Its feod consists of worms, various kinds of
Ip^eel^and their larvae.
Little is known respecting its nidification beyond the fact that the eggs are four in number, o f a light
olive blotcjbedl^^mack. '*. -
The two. Australian specimens above refer re A t o haye^:-^^^;
The crown of the head, upper surface and wings light olive,, mottled with white; .primaries blackish
brown, with the h ^ sa^O ^ g n ©ƒ' their inner webs and the apical half of their shafts white ; rump white;
tail white, crossed by broad bars of light olive; face and all the under surface white, with numerous brown
striae, and a wash of buff^nvmg sides of the neck and across the bre ast; irides blackish brown ; bill and
feet blackish olive.
The figures represent the two birds of the natural size.