AMERICAN GOLDEN PLO\'ER. S7 



a:mericax golden plover. 



COMMON PLOVER. WHISTLING PLOVER. PALE-EELLY 

 GREEN PLOVER. 



Charadrius DOMDaCUS. 



Char. No hind toe. Above, spotted with black and lemon yellow; 

 forehead and line over the eyes white ; tail grayish brown with imperfect 

 bars of ashy white ; beneath, black. In winter plumage the black of the 

 lower parts is replaced by mottled gray and white, the throat and breast 

 spotted with dusky. 



AVj/. At the upper edge of a sea-beach ; a mere dejjression m the soil 

 lined \^-ith a few bits of grass. 



■^iS^- 3~4 (usually 4) ; of sharply pointed pyrifonn shape : dark brown- 

 ish buff, sometimes tinged with drab or grayish white : spotted and 

 blotched with various shades of brown ; 2.00 X 1.40. 



The Common Plover is, according to the season of the year, 

 met with in almost every part of the world, particularly in Asia 

 and Europe, from Kamtschatka to Chma, as well as in the 

 South Sea Islands ; and on the present continent from Arctic 

 America, where it breeds, to the Falkland Islands : it is also 

 seen in the interior at least as far as ^Missouri. It breeds in 

 Siberia and in the northern parts of Great Britain, but not in 

 France or Italy, where it is also common. At such times it 

 selects the high and secluded mountains, sheltered by the heath, 

 where, without much attempt at a nest, the female deposits 

 about four, or sometimes five, e^rirs of a pale-olive color, marked 

 with blackish spots. 



These Plovers arrive on the coast oi the Middle and North- 

 ern States in spring and early autumn. Near to Xantasket and 

 Chelsea Beach they are seen on their return from their inclem- 

 ent natal regions in the north by the close of August, and the 

 voung remain in the vicinity till the middle of October, or 

 later, according to the state of the weather. They live princi- 

 pally upon land insects, or the lar\-3e and worms they meet 

 with in the saline marshes, and appe?.r ver}- fond of grasshop- 

 pers. About the time of their departure they are. early in the 

 momina;, seen sometimes assembled by thousands ; but they all 



