732 PLOVER 



southern extremity of Africa. The same may be said, mutatis 

 mutandis, of two other cognate forms, C. virginicus and C.fulvus, which 

 respectively represent C pluvialis in America and Eastern Asia, where 

 they also are known by the same English name, The discrimination 

 of these two birds from one another requires a very acute eye, and 

 room is here wanting in which to specify the minute points in 

 which they differ ; ^ but both are easily distinguished from their 

 European ally by their smaller size, their greyish-brown axillary 

 feathers, and their proportionally longer and more slender legs. 

 All, however, — and it is the same with the Grey Plover, — imdergOy 

 precisely the same seasonal change of coloTir, greatly altering their 

 appearance and equally affecting both sexes. In the coiu-se of 

 spring or early summer nearly the whole of the lower plumage 

 from the chin to the vent, the greater part of which during winter 

 has been Avhite, becomes deep black. This is partly due to the 

 groAvth of new feathers, but partly to some of the old feathers 

 actually changing their colour,^ though the way in which the 

 alteration is brought about is still uncertain.'-^ A corresponding 

 alteration is at the same season observable in the upper plumage ; 

 but this seems chiefly due (as in many other birds) to the shedding 

 of the lighter-coloured margins of the feathers, and does not produce 

 so complete a transformation of appearance, though the beauty of 

 the wearer is thereby greatly increased. 



The birds just spoken of are those most emphatically entitled 

 to be called Plovers ; but the Dotterel, the group of Ringed 

 Plovers before mentioned (Killdeer) and the Lapwing, with 



^ their allies, have, according to usage, hardly 

 less claim to the name, which is also ex- 

 tended to some other more distant forms 

 that can here have only the briefest notice. 

 Among them one of the most remarkable 



Pluvianus. (After Swainson.) ■ ,^ i^i ■ tt i- p 



IS the 1 luvianus or Jiyas xgyptius ot orni- 

 thologists, celebrated for the services it is said to render to the 

 crocodile — a small bird whose plumage of delicate lavender and cream- 



^ Schlegel {Mus. Fays-Bas, Cursores, p. 53) states that in some examples it 

 seems impossible to determine the form to which they belong ; but ordinarily 

 American specimens are rather larger and stouter, and have shorter toes than 

 those from Asia. 



" It is much to be regretted that ornithologists favoiirably situated in regard 

 to zoological gardens have not used more extensively o2:iportunities which might 

 there be enjoyed of conducting useful observations on this subject and otliers of 

 the kind. Elsewhere it would be hardly possible to carry on such an investiga- 

 tion, and even in the best circumstances it would not be easy and would require 

 unremitting attention. The results of some partial observations superintended 

 by Yarrell in the gardens of the Zoological Society of London are given in its 

 Transactions (i. pp. 13-19). Little of this nature has been done there since. 



