GREY PLOVER. 45 



basin of the Mediterranean and in Africa north of the equator. The 

 eastern birds pass through South Siberia^ Turkestan^ Mongoha^ and Japan 

 on migration^ and winter in India^ South China, the islands of the Malay 

 archipelago, and Australia. In the New World its range has not been so 

 accurately determined, but it is known to winter in the West Indies and in 

 several parts of South America. The Grey Plover has no very near ally. 



British ornithologists only have the opportunity of studying the habits 

 of the Grey Plover during the autumn and Avinter, when it is to be found 

 on the coasts of our islands. Young birds make their appearance in 

 August and September, sometimes having remains of down still attached 

 to their feathers, accompanied by only a few old birds, the main body of 

 adults delaying their arrival until October and November. They leave our 

 coasts in spring, in May, a few remaining until earh^ in June, and stray 

 examples have been occasionally met with in July, probably immature 

 birds. 



The Grey Plover is more of a coast-bird than the Golden Plover, and 

 during the whole time of its stay with us prefers the low-lying shores, the 

 mud-flats, salt-marshes, and river-mouths, where it obtains an abundant 

 supply of food. It is often met with in solitary pairs, and less frequently 

 in parties of perhaps thirty or forty individuals. One or two birds 

 often keep company with a flock of other Waders, such as Dunlins or 

 Knots. It is more wary than the Golden Plover, and consequently far 

 more difiicult to approach. It is an engaging lively bird, running or 

 walking gracefully about the mud or sand, every now and then jjausing a 

 moment, and with head erected looking warily around. When alarmed it 

 generally runs with uplifted wings for a little distance ere taking flight. 

 It flies with great rapidity, and often indulges in the same aerial move- 

 ments as the Golden Plover. It obtains much of its food at dusk, and 

 is especially active on moonlight nights. Its food consists of small 

 worms, shells, and a variety of marine animals, which it picks from the 

 masses of seaweed, or even wades into the shallow water to secure; it 

 also eats various insects and grubs. 



The eggs of the Grey Plover were one of the few prizes which Wolley 

 failed to secure during his three summers in Lapland. They were first 

 discovered in 1843 by Middendorfi:, the great Russian traveller, who found 

 them on the Taimyr peninsula, in Siberia, in lat. 71° and 74-°, the first nest 

 being taken on the 8th of July. The Smithsonian Institution at Wash- 

 ington obtained examples, collected by MacFarlane on the American coast 

 of the Arctic Ocean in 1864, which remained unique in colleciions for ten 

 years ; but in 1875 Ilarvie-Browu and I took ten nests between the 22nd 

 of June and the 12th of July in the valley of the Petchora, in lat. G8°. 

 It is not known that any authentic eggs of this interesting bird have 

 been taken during the last ten years. The interest attaching to this 



