CHARADRIUS PLUVIAXIS 293 



own country it has been met with on several occasions. On the 

 Continent it has been obtained less frequently, and in the east of 

 Europe but rarely. In Sicily and the south of the Italian Peninsula 

 the species has, however, not unfrequently been met with, and the 

 Palermo Museum contains examples obtained near that town and 

 Girgenti. 



The present species is generally to be found in semi-desert country 

 scantily clothed with vegetation, and on arid undulating plains 

 abounding in hillocks of blown-sand, dotted over with tufts of 

 graminaceous plants. It is chiefly to be met with in small parties 

 of from six to nine individuals, or in pairs, and, as a rule, is shy and 

 wary. 



Though its flight is fairly powerful and rapid, the bird prefers 

 trusting to its feet and powers of concealment for its safety, and on 

 the approach of danger immediately runs off swiftly and hides among 

 the patches of herbage. 



According to Mr. Aplin, the species, when on the ground, utters 

 a short and sharp note like " wut," and " wut-quoi," but at certain 

 seasons the bird is apparently silent, for Mr. Dodson says he never 

 heard it utter any note on the ground in July and August. On the 

 wing its note is a short whistle like the word " toliip," and the 

 bird is sometimes very noisy, and attracts attention by its cry. 



The food of this species is composed of insects and their larvae, 

 grain, and the seeds of various plants. 



The bird makes no nest, but deposits its eggs, two or three 

 in riurhber, in a depression in the soil. The colour of the eggs is 

 light buff, thickly covered and clouded with greyish shell-marks 

 and brownish surface-spots and streaks. Average measurements 

 36 X 27 mm. The eggs are rather rough and without any gloss. 



CHARADRIUS PLUYIALIS, Linnaeus. 

 GOLDEN PLOVER. 



Charadrius plnvialis, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 254 (1766) ; Shmye, Cat. 



Birds Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 191 ; Koenig, J. f. 0. 1888, p. 270 ; id. 



J.f. 0. 1893, p. 83 ; Erlanger, J.f. 0. 1900, p. 57. 

 Pluvialis apricarius, Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. ii, p. 262 (1867). 



