LITTLE RING-PLOVER. 129 



brown ; the feet yellowish-flesh-coloured ; the claws black. 

 The anterior part of the forehead is white, succeeded by a 

 broad band of black ; the rest of the upper part of the head 

 brownish-grey. The loral space and a band passing under 

 the eye and including the ear-coverts black. A broad collar 

 of white including the throat is followed by another of black, 

 which is broad in front and narrow behind. The upper 

 parts of the body, including the wing-coverts, are greyish- 

 brown ; the lower parts pure white. The primary quills and 

 coverts all brownish-black ; the outer secondary quills of a 

 lighter tint, and edged with white, as are their coverts, the 

 inner like the back ; the outer quill alone with its shaft 

 white. The tail-feathers are greyish-brown, darker toward 

 the end, all excepting the two middle terminated with white, 

 that colour increasing in extent so as to include the whole of 

 the outer feather on each side, with the exception of a dusky 

 spot on its inner web. 



Length to end of tail 6-£- inches ; wing from flexure 4j 4 2 ; 

 bill along the ridge t 7 . 



Female. — The female has the dark bands on the head 

 and neck of a lighter tint, but is otherwise similar. 



Habits. — According to M. Temminck, this species " more 

 willingly frequents the margins of rivers than those of the 

 sea, occurs as a straggler or in the course of its migrations in 

 Holland, is more abundant in Germany, and in the south as 

 far as Italy. Its food consists of aquatic insects, their larvae, 

 and small worms. It forms its nest on the beach or in the 

 neighbouring pastures, laying from three to five oblong, 

 whitish eggs, marked with large black dots, and faint spots 

 of greyish-brown." Mr. Hoy, in Mr. Hewitson's work on 

 the Eggs of British Birds, says : — " The Little Plover appears 

 to be very rarely found on the sea-coast, but frequents in 

 preference the banks of rivers, where it breeds. It lays its 

 eggs on the sand, not a particle of grass or other material 

 being used. It is very partial to sand banks, forming islands, 

 which are often met with in some of the larger rivers of the 

 Continent. It may also frequently be found during the 



K 



