KENTISH RING-PLOVER. 127 



inner secondaries like the back. The two middle tail feathers 

 are dusky, the two outer on each side white, the rest of in- 

 termediate shades. 



Length to end of tail 6, 9 2 inches ; extent of wings 14^ ; 

 wing from flexure 4^ ; tail 2 ; bill along the ridge x 7 2 ; along 

 the edge of lower mandible j 8 2 ; bare part of tibia j 7 2 ; tarsus 

 } ? 2 ; inner toe , 5 2 , its claw j 2 2 ; middle toe , 8 2 , its claw two- 

 twelfths and a half; outer toe j 6 2 , its claw A. 



Female in Summer. — The female, which is scarcely 

 smaller, differs in colour chiefly in having the dark parts 

 tinged with brown, and the brownish-red on the head and 

 neck paler. 



Length to end of tail 6 j 8 2 ; bill along the ridge j 7 , ; wing 

 from flexure 4| ; tail 2 ; tarsus } £ ; middle toe x 7 , its claw j 2 2 . 



Habits. — The Kentish Plover, so named by Latham, who 

 first described if from specimens shot at Sandwich in Kent, 

 and sent to him by Dr. Boys, has been found in various parts 

 of the counties of Kent, Essex, and Sussex, as well as in Nor- 

 folk, to the northward of which however it has not been met 

 with ; nor has it hitherto been seen on any part of the 

 western coast of Britain, or in Ireland. It is said to be very 

 extensively distributed on the Continent, being found from 

 the northern coasts of Germany to the shores of the Medi- 

 terranean. M. Temminck states that it occurs in India and 

 its islands, and Dr. Horsfield found it in Java. Its habits 

 may be supposed to be very similar to those of the Common 

 Ring-Plover ; but it does not appear that any person has 

 particularly described them, and I am unable to supply the 

 deficiency. The female is said to lay her four eggs in a 

 slight hollow in the sand. They are, according to Mr. 

 Yarrell, an inch and three-twelfths in length, eleven-twelfths 

 in breadth, of a yellowish-stone colour, spotted, and streaked 

 with black. 



Young. — When fledged, the young differ from the adult 

 only in being destitute of the black patch on the head, and 

 in having the loral spaces, ear-coverts, and patch on each 

 side of the lower part of the neck, dusky brown. 



