AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER 175 



Casual records. — Fischer recorded a pair on Jan Mayen on June 

 29, 1883, and it has occurred on the Azores, but is only a rare straggler, 

 Madeira (recorded by Harcourt and also by Schmitz on January 13, 

 1896) and the Canaries, where Bannerman describes it as a rare 

 visitor (records scanty and indefinite). 



In Africa records from the Cape (J. Verreaux), Lamu, East 

 Africa (Layard), and the Gabun (Du Chaillu) require substantia- 

 tion. It is also stated to have occurred in Somaliland, but the 

 normal winter quarters lie north of these localities. In Asia it has 

 been shot at Gwadar, Baluchistan, in January, 1872, by W. T. Blan- 

 ford, and one was obtained by Brooks near Schwan on January 27, 

 1878, as well as a second at Karachi on January 7, 1919, by Captain 

 Hanna. The only other Indian record is one obtained by Reid at 

 Lucknow. In Greenland (several records). 



Egg dates. — Iceland : May 21 to June 1 (5 dates) ; June 2 to 29 (18 

 dates). North Norway, June 10 to 20 (5 dates). North Russia and 

 Siberia, June 10 to July 1 (10 dates). Most eggs of the southern 

 race are laid in the British Isles from May 10 onward, but excep- 

 tionally eggs have been met with from April 16 to the end of that 

 month, and in Friesland eggs have been taken on April 19. 



PLUVIALIS DOMINICA DOMINICA (Muller) 

 AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER 



HABITS 



The golden plover is not only one of our most beautiful shore 

 birds in its brilliant spring plumage, but its wonderful migration 

 excites our admiration and the comparison of its former abundance 

 with its present scarcity furnishes a striking picture of the ruthless 

 slaughter that has squandered our previous wealth of wild life. A 

 few quotations will serve to illustrate the enormous flights of golden 

 plover that swarmed over both American continents during the past 

 century. Robert B. Roosevelt (1884) thus refers to a flock he saw 

 near Montauk Point, Long Island, many years ago : 



A gentle hollow spreads before us for several acres literally covered with the 

 ranks of the much-desired, the matchless golden plover. As they stand in 

 serried legions, the white mark on their heads gives a strange checkered weird- 

 ness to the phalanx ; and we involuntarily pause, spellbound by the novelty of 

 the spectacle. Our host himself, though an old hand, owns that he has never 

 before gazed on such a sight. There they stand, with heads erect and bodies 

 motionless, just out of gunshot. Their number is computed by our companion to 

 be not less than 3,000, closely packed, and apparently awaiting our onset. 

 Warily crawling to within 70 yards, we halt as we see unmistakable evidences of 

 uneasiness and suspicion among the crowded ranks. They stoop, they run, they 

 rise with " a sounding roar," to which the united report of our four barrels 



