1 66 



British Birds. 



and in some of the Canar}' Islands, 

 extending to Central Asia and North- 

 western India. The nest is a slight 

 depression in the sand, and the two 

 eggs are scarcely to be told from 

 the stones which surround them. 

 The eggs are stone-colour, thickly 

 covered all over with blackish lines 

 and blotches, amongst which are 

 mingled the underl3'ing grey mott- 

 lings ; their length is from an inch- 

 and-a-quarter to an inch-and-a-half. 

 T he long 



"^"^ wings and forked The Pratincole. 



PRATINCOLE. ., ,■ ■ 



, , tail distinguish 

 (Glanola pratmcola.) '^ 



the Pratincoles from the Coursers, and they have much shorter 



le"-s than the last-named birds. The general colour is brown, but the throat is 

 sandy buff followed by a collar of white and black. The Pratincole has occurred 

 several times in England and Scotland, and once in Ireland. It nests in the 

 countries of Southern Europe and winters in Africa. The flight is very much like 

 that of a Swallow or a Tern, and the birds are gregarious at all times of the year, 

 and nest in companies, sometimes of many thousands. The eggs are laid on the 

 bare ground, and are so thickly scribbled over with black that the light ground- 

 colour is scarcely perceptible; they measure about an inch-and-a-quarter in length. 



Of the 



THE 



GREY PLOVER. 



{Sqtiaiarola 



helvetica.) 



The Grey Plover. 



The Golden Plover. 



Plovers 

 which put 

 on a black 

 breast in 

 the summer, the Grey 

 Plover is the largest, and 

 it is easily distinguished 

 by its grey plumage, mott- 

 led with black. In winter 

 the black breast disappears, 

 and the under surface of 

 the body is white ; the 

 young birds are also white 

 below, but are spangled 

 with golden colour above, 

 so that thev resemble the 



