The karyotypes of five species of charadriiform birds (three of which are new to cytology) belonging to two families, Charadriidae (Vanellus spinosus duvaucelii, Pluvialis squatarola, Pluvialis dominica fulva, Charadrius alexandrinus alexandrinus) and Scolopacidae (Limosa limosa limosa) are described. For the sake of comparison, the karyotype of Vanellus malabaricus is also described. The karyological relationships in both the families are discussed in detail.

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The karyotypes of one charadriiform bird, Himantopus himantopus himantopus (Linnaeus) (Recurvirostridae) and two passerine birds, Chloropsis cochinchinensis jerdoni (Blylh) (lrenidae) and Melophus lathami (Gray) (Emberizidae), hithertho cytologically unknown have been studied. The diploid chromosome number (2n) is 82 + in H. h. himantopus and 80 +_ in both C. c. jerdoni and ,'v/. lathami. The Z and W chromosomes were identified except in H. h. himantopus. C-banding analysis in C. c. jerdoni shows almost the entire W chromosome and the short arm of the 5th chromosome to be completely heterochromatic. Possible karyological relationships among congeneric and confamilial species are discussed.

Karyological investigations of three birds: Surniculus lugubris dicruroides (Cuculidae, Cuculi‐formes), Orthotomus sutorius guzuratus and Hippolais caligata caligata (Sylviidae, Passeriformes) were carried out. In the somatic male karyotype of S. l. dicruroides the modal 2 n value was determined to be 78 with 14 macro and 64 microchromosomes. In the female karyotyps of, O.s. guzuratus (2n = 86) there were 18 macro and 68 microchromosomes and in that of H.c. caligata (2n = 80) the number of macro and micros were 17 and 63 respectively.

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