I54 THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 



Captivity — They are easily kept, and a few have 

 bred (Ruff, Redshank, Avocet, Cayenne Lap- 

 wing). 



Distribution and Important Species. — This is a 

 numerous family of birds, containing about two 

 hundred species and individually abundant. It 

 is also the most migratory group, and some 

 members of it are found everywhere, though 

 most breed in the north. Our Turnstone, 

 indeed {Strepsilas interpres), is the most widely 

 distributed of all birds, being found on every 

 shore in the world, though only breeding in 

 the north. This species, and its two allies, 

 the Black-headed Turnstone {A. melanocephala) 

 and the Surf-bird {Aphriza virgata) of America, 

 are intermediate between Sandpipers and Plovers. 

 Some of the typical Plovers are found everywhere ; 

 our Golden Plover {Charadrius pluvialis), which has 

 the wing-lining white, is replaced in Eastern 

 Asia and America by a very similar species (C. 

 dominicus), with the wing-lining dark drab, and 

 little Plovers of the Ring-plover [Aegialitis] type 

 inhabit every shore ; one of them, the Kill-deer 

 {Aegialitis vocifera) is the common inland Plover 

 of North America. 



The broad- winged Plovers known as Lap- 

 wings, however, are less migratory, and more 

 limited in distribution ; there are none in North 

 America and New Zealand. The Common Lap- 

 wing of India {Sarcogrammus indicus) is called 

 from its cry, " Did-he-do-it " ; it has a black 

 crown, cherry-red bill, brown back, and yellow 

 legs. The Teru-teru, or Cayenne Lapwing 

 {Vanellus cayennensis) is the common species of 

 South America ; it is somewhat like our bird, but 

 larger and lighter-coloured, and has a pink spur 

 on the pinion- joint. The Australian Lapwing 



