350 REPTILES, AND. BIRDS. 
help they can; so if you are not a novice in field sports, you will find 
no great difficulty in profiting by this circumstance and so filling your 
game-bag. 
The Plover migrates from the north of Europe to Africa, and 
vice versa ; it thus visits France twice a year, in spring and autumn. 
Their appearance at these usually rainy seasons is doubtless the 
reason that they have obtained the generic name Pluvialis. The 
principal species are—the Great Plover, the Kentish Plover, the 
Golden Plover, the Dotterel, and the Pluvian. 
Se 
Fig. 141.—Golden Plover. 
The Great Plover (dicnemus c7 ‘epitans) is about the size of a 
Dove; it is very uncommon, very active, and very shy. The only 
chance of shooting it is in the evening, at the moment when it comes 
to wash itself on the edges of lakes and rivers. Its flesh is not much 
valued. 
The Kentish Plover (Charadris cantianus) is thus named on 
account of its collar being divided into two parts ; it is considerably 
less than the last-named bird, and is found in Europe and Asia. 
The Golden Plover (Charadrius pluvialis, Fig. 141) 1s nearly as 
large as a Woodcock ; the ground of its plumage is of a yellow colour, 
speckled over with brown spots. In winter it is always numerously 
