96 BIRDS OF NOKFOLK. 



larger race. I am desirous, however, to draw the special 

 attention of Yarmouth ornithologists to this subject, 

 that the habits of this smaller race may be closely 

 observed ; more particularly as to the date of its arrival 

 in spring and autumn, and whether seen, at such times, 

 in separate flocks or in company with the larger kind. 

 I am not certain that the smaller race has ever been 

 found breeding on the south coast, but in this county 

 I have looked for it in vain during the nesting season, 

 and, as before stated, the birds of the warrens are iden- 

 tical with those which frequent the seashore. All the 

 Norfolk examples, also, of this smaller ringed plover 

 that I have yet seen in collections, have been killed at 

 Yarmouth, including one in the Dennis collection at 

 Bury St. Edmund's. Judging from specimens of each 

 bird in my own and the museum collection, the larger 

 bird differs rather in its general bulk, than in the 

 comparative length of wings, feet, or legs. The smaller 

 ringed plover, as far as one can tell from stuffed speci- 

 mens, has not the large round head and broad forehead 

 of the ordinary race ; the dark markings on the head and 

 breast, are more pure and sharply defined ; the whole of 

 the upper surface of the plmnage is darker in tint ; and 

 the bird has altogether a brighter and more dapper 

 appearance. The outer tail feathers, in all that I have 

 seen, have a dusky spot or two on the inner web, which is 

 always white in the larger birds ; the character of the 

 beak appears much the same in both races, having the 

 base of the upper and lower mandible yellow, which 

 colour is permanent after death, but although there is 

 scarcely any difference in the size of the legs and feet, 

 the claws in the smaller birds are remarkably fine and 

 long as compared with those of the larger race. 



Mr. Lubbock's note on the Little Ringed Plover 

 [Charadrius Tnmor, Meyer) to the effect that " two speci- 

 mens of this bird in the Norwich museum, were believed 



