210 



THE ANIMALS OF NEW ZEALAND 



Northern Hemisphere it takes on its snmmer plumage in Aprils 

 and changes into the winter plumage in August or September. 

 It is a common bird in New Caledonia and Fiji, and Mr. E. L. 

 Layard says that in the former island he found on April 20th^ 

 1877, a female followed by a couple of chicks a few days old. 

 But he also says that the old birds attain their full breeding 

 plumage in May, which is the same time as in the Northern 

 Hemisphere. It would seem from this that the breeding of the 



Spotted Plover : breeding plumage. 



aieycr.) 



bird in the island was what might be called accidental, and, as 

 the birds have not been long enough to change the time of 

 breeding or of moulting, it is probable that all are migrants, 

 but that some delay moving northwards until they have attained 

 the breeding plumage. 



Something of the same nature probably happens in Australia, 

 as ]Mr. Gould says that the uniform black under surface, which 

 is the complete breeding plumage, is seldom seen there ; and all 

 the specimens in the British INIuseum from ]\Ialay Archipelago, 

 Australia, and Polynesia, are in the winter plumage. 



