16 



WADING BIRDS. 



upon the coasts, and near the outlets of streams. The moult in 

 most of the species is double, and the sexes are scarcely distin- 

 guishable by any exterior markings, except in the C. cantianus, in 

 which the moult is only annual, and the sexes distinguishable by 

 their livery. Some exotic species of the genus bear spines upon the 

 shouldersof the wings, being, in fact, an approach towards the devel- 

 opement of claws on the anterior extremities ! several other species 

 have fleshy excrescences upon the head or mandibles. 



t Inner toe cleft. 



THE COMMON, or GOLDEN PLOVER. 



{Charadrius j)luvialis, Lin. Wilson, Am. Orn. vii. p. 71. pi. 59. 

 fig. 5. [the young] C. apricarius, Gjiel. Wilson, vii. p. 41. pi. 

 57. fig. 4. [the adult in summer plumage.] Phil. Museum, No. 

 4196.) 



Sp. Charact. — Spotted with black and lemon yellow ; long axillary 

 feathers yellowish grey. — Summer plumage, beneath black ; in 

 icinter below white, tinged with yellowish grey. — The young or 

 moulting birds duller, and beneath varied with black and whitish. 



The Common Plover is, according to the season of the 

 year, met with in ahnost every part of the world, particularly 



