PLOVERS 35 



THE KENTISH PLOVER. 



{/Egialitis cantiana^ 



The Kentish Plover is smaller than the common 

 species already described, and from which it may be 

 easily distinguished by its having only two patches 

 of black in the place of an entire ring of that colour 

 on the neck. The general tones of colouring are as 

 in the common. The bird's length is seven inches. 



THE LITTLE RINGED PLOVER. 

 (^JEgialitis curofiica.) 



This pretty creature is, as its name denotes, a 

 dwarfed representative of its common relative, that 

 courser and tripper over flats and sands which is so 

 universally distributed, the Ring Dotterel or Plover. 



As it is my intention only to describe in their 

 haunts the game birds and wild-fowl that are usually 

 to be met with, the rarer species belonging to their 

 families will only be briefly noticed. Very rare 

 visitors will not be noticed, for they do not belong 

 to this country ; and, as I said before, my sketches 

 are not written from a scientific point of view, or on 

 regular natural history lines. 



THE COMMON LAPWING. 



{Vanellus vulgaris.) 



Male. — The bill is brownish-black, the iris brown ; 

 the upper part of head and crest arc black, glossed 



