PLOVEES AND THEIR PECULIARITIES 103 



farmhouse of the colonist. This habit is probably 

 merely a selfish one, as the presence of flocks and 

 herds and of grain increases the sources of food- 

 supply. For this reason also the kiewitje is no 

 doubt so frequently found in the neighbourhood of 

 old cattle kraals. On the other hand, it is as often 

 as not found in the heart of the desert, far remote 

 from water. This plover, from its " lapwing " flight, 

 its chiding cry, and malingering habit (in nesting 

 time), much resembles its European congener, the 

 green plover. 



That cautious and suspicious bird, the grey plover, 

 a scarce plover in Britain now-a-days, is another 

 well-known inhabitant of Southern Africa, where, 

 however, its plumage is always of a much lighter 

 hue than in Europe. 



A plover of North America, the killdeer, is 

 another of the family which has a harsh and chiding 

 voice. This plover is very abundant on the prairies, 

 where it seems very well to represent the peewit of 

 England and the kiewitje of South Africa, and upon 

 the approach of human beings at once proceeds to 

 lift up its voice in a querulous and impatient wail. 



The dotterel (so called from its supposed stupid- 

 ity),^ or dotterel plover, although once pretty 

 common in Britain, is now but an occasional visitant. 



1 Dotterel is merely a diminutive form of dotard and 

 doitard. 



