198 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



greatly increased by immigrants from Europe. It breeds in 

 Europe, Asia, and some parts of Africa, and is partially 

 migratory. 



The erectile crest, round wings and call, and seemingly 

 black and white dress, are well known, but the Green Plover 

 is not really black and white ; at close quarters in sunshine the 

 glossy green back and the rich chestnut patches above and 

 below the tail are wonderfully beautiful. Marshy fields and 

 rough upland pastures are typical haunts, but its choice of 

 habitat is catholic ; it feeds, a shore bird, on the tidal flats, it 

 flocks on cultivated land, it is companion of the Curlew and 

 Golden Plover on the bleak moor. Indeed, it is everywhere 

 and often abundant. In the nesting season it is scattered, 

 large lowland fields usually having their pair or pairs of birds, 

 but so soon as the young can fly they form small parties, and 

 from June onward the bird is gregarious. In autumn immi- 

 grants arrive from the north and east, and throughout the 

 winter the flocks are often immense, though there are frequent 

 southward movements after the usual time for passage. After 

 accumulating a large amount of information, Dr. W. Eagle 

 Clarke strove to formulate the various Lapwing movements, 

 but the bird is capricious, and weather conditions or over- 

 abundance in any place may cause extra and erratic migra- 

 tion. Theories that all immigrants winter here, or that all 

 home-bred birds remain or depart, are unsound ; indeed, the 

 recoveries of " ringed " birds show great variability in habit. 

 Birds ringed abroad are found here in winter, but nestlings 

 marked in England and Scotland may be recovered in their 

 first or subsequent winters anywhere. An analysis of re- 

 coveries proved that a fair proportion remained near home, 

 and that the majority that emigrated went westward into 

 Ireland ; others reached France, the Spanish peninsula, and 

 Africa, and of those which did not leave England most went 

 south, but a few wandered north. 



