having a gun with him, tried to get both birds in a line,
but being unsuccessful, selected the brighter of the
two, its companion being about six yards distant from
i t ; when he fired, the paler bird flew off in a westerly
direction, and was no more seen. The dead bird was
taken the next morning to Mr. Lowne for preservation,
and, as before stated, he forwarded the skin to me the
same evening. The weather being very warm at the
time, Mr. Lowne would not risk sending the bird in
the flesh, hence it was that I only saw the skin; but I
may mention that it had all the appearance of having
been very recently removed, and there were still many
living parasites remaining on the feathers. Mr. Lowne
tells me that the total length of the bird when in the
flesh was eight inches, and its weight 2j oz. Through
the liberality of some friends I was enabled to purchase
this specimen for the Norwich Museum, and to send
this first British example of the Caspian Plover for
exhibition at the meeting of the Zoological Society on
June 17, 1890. I submitted the parasites before mentioned
to Dr. E. Piaget, who informed me that they
were of a new species, for which he proposed the name
of Nirmus assimilis.”
I have never met with this species alive ; its home is
said to be Western Asia, especially the shores of the
Caspian; I have a specimen, obtained by my brother
in Lower Egypt. It has been recorded as having
occurred twice in Heligoland, viz. in November 1850
and May 1859.