on the Birds of St. Croix. 3S5 



species fly up and perch upon trees ; twice this happened on 

 their being sprung by a dog. They breed from the end of 

 April to the middle of July, and often lay a dozen or fifteen 

 eggs. The nest does not appear to us to be ever covered over 

 as described by some writers, and consists merely of a shallow 

 hole scraped in the ground, in which is deposited a little dried 

 grass or " trash " — the leaves of the Sugar-cane, — but it is cer- 

 tainly often placed to leeward of a protecting cane " stool"*. 



30. Virginian Plover. Charadrius virginicus, Bechst. C. 

 pluvialis, "VVils. pi. 57. fig. 4, and pi. 59. fig. 5. C. marmoratiis, 

 Wagl. ; Aud. pi. 300. " Plover." 



An autumnal migrant, appearing often in large numbers. 

 They are usually seen after a gale of wind from the South or 

 South- West ; and hence arises the belief prevalent in the island, 

 that these birds, and indeed all the Waders, come from the 

 Spanish main ; but the unquestionable explanation of the fact is 

 that the birds are arrested in their southward migration by the 

 wind, and are therefore compelled to defer journeying further 

 until the weather has changed ; or else that, having partly 

 crossed the Caribbean Sea, they are driven North again. 



" The arrival of this bird is hailed with delight by St. Croix 

 sportsmen of all classes and colours : every one who possesses a 

 gun sallies forth to the ' pastures ' on the south side of the 

 island, which are grassy plains, and in wet weather in the con- 

 dition which an East- Anglian fen-man would call ' splashy.^ Here 

 are seen people in all directions, — those who are armed standing 

 behind, or, if it is raining, sitting in their carriages, while the 

 unarmed are scattered on every side ; and all are employed in 

 keeping a good look-out. Presently some one calls out, ' Mark ! ' 

 and a long line of these Plovers are seen flying up from the 

 sea, ignorant of the fate which awaits them. They do not appear 

 in the least shy — their habits in this respect difi"ering very much 



* All the attempts which have been made to naturalize this bird in the 

 United Kingdom seem to have completely failed ; and, in om- opinion, its 

 name should be erased from the British and European lists. As far as 

 concerns the Eastern Counties of England, often mentioned as the district 

 colonized by it, we can state pretty positively that it is not now found in 

 them. 



