170 Britis/i Birds. 



the sand, and are lour in number, placed point to point, as is the mode with all 

 Plovers and Sandpipers. They very much resemble the stonv surroundings amongst 

 which they are placed, and are clay-coloured, with small black spots and hnes, some- 

 times forming blotches ; they measure an inch-and-a-quarter to an inch-and-a-half. 

 This is a smaller bird than the Ringed Plo\er and resembles 



the latter species very closely, but can alwa\s be told by the 

 RINGED ... ^ ... . , ' , ,. .' „,, , f 



white shatt, which is only seen on the hrst primary. the shaits 

 SAND. PLOVER. ' ■' . 



, X- ■ ,-,■ J J- 1 of several of the ciuills are white in .Ji. hiatlcola. In the hitter 

 [.'hgiahtis diibia.) ' 



also the bill is orange with a black tip, whereas in Ai. dtibia 

 the bill is black, with only the base of the lower mandible \ello\v. There is also a 

 ring of yellow round the e\'e. 



The Little Ringed Plover has been captured in England half a dozen times, 

 chiefly in the autumn. It is found throughout the whole of temperate Europe 

 and Asia, and in winter visits Africa, India and the Malayan Archipelago. It is 

 essentially an inland species, and is found on the shores of lakes and on sand-spits 

 in the large rivers. The nest is a little cavity in the sand, and the eggs are four in 

 number, smaller than those of the Common Ringed Plover, but similar in colour. 

 They measure a little over an inch to an iiich-and-a-quarter. 



This little species can be told by its rufous head, white 



THE KENTISH forehead, and white collar round the hind-neck. There is no 



SAND-PLOVER. , , , , ■ , r , , , , , 1 u 



, „ .... complete black ring on the tore-neck, but a black patch on each 



(Mglalliis 1 h . 



, J ■ ^ side of the latter. Young birds may be recognised by their 



black legs and by the white collar round the hind-neck. 

 The Kentish Plover nests on the sea-shores in the south-east of England, and 

 occurs in other parts of the United Kingdom during migration. It is found through- 

 out Central and Southern Europe in suitable localities, and extends to Eastern Asia, 

 wintering in Africa, India and Australia. The present species always looks a whiter 

 bird in life than either of the Ringed Plovers, and the nestlings are decidedly lighter 

 in colour than those of the last-named birds. The species is not gregarious in summer, 

 but collects in flocks in the autumn. The eggs are laid on the shingly beach, 

 and are three, more rarely four, in number. They are very similar to those of the 

 Ringed Plover, but have the markings more distributed over the egg. Their length 

 is about an inch-and-a-quarter, or a little more. 



This bird is often called the ' Peewit ' from its note, or the 



THE LAPWING. . q^^^,^ Plover' from the colour of its plumage. It has a 

 IVanellus vniu'lliis.) , 



remarkably long crest oi upturned leathers, a black throat and 



neck, and the upper and under tail-coverts of a light cinnamon-colour. The young 



birds and the adults in winter plumage have sandy-buff edgings to the feathers 



of the upper surface. It is found everywhere throughout the British Islands, nesting 



on the moors and fallow-land, and frequenting the sea-shore in large flocks in winter. 



It inhabits the whole of Europe and Northern Asia. 



