THE SPOTTED PLOVER 211 



In New Zealand the bird is rare, having been recorded only a 

 few times in the North Island, while for the first time in history 

 it made its appearance in the South Island in the summer of 1900. 

 Mr. W. W. Smith says that he has seen a good many of these 

 birds in the Ashburton River bed. There is a specimen 

 in the Canterbury Museum, which was shot at Lake 

 Ellesmere, in 1900. Two specimens shot near Auckland 

 early in December, 1880, were in winter plumage, but 

 showed signs of being about to put on their summer dress. 

 The specimen in the Canterbury Museum is in winter plumage, 

 as also is one shot at the Bluff ; and Mr. Smith says that the 

 plumage of the birds in the Ashburton River bed varied but 

 slightly. But in the Canterbury Museum there is another 

 specimen in the full breeding plumage, which was shot on March 

 5th, 1902. Mr. C. H. Robson found a pair breeding at Portland 

 Island, on January 9th, and, as he says the birds undergo little 

 or no change of plumage from winter to summer, which is a 

 mistake, it may be presumed that the birds he saw were also in 

 the winter or non-breecling plumage. This is very remarkable, 

 for with introduced European birds, such as the starling, the 

 linnet, and the redpoll, the change of plumage goes with the 

 breeding season, as it did in Europe; both, on coming into the 

 Southern Hemisphere, have changed together. 



We cannot, therefore, think that the birds breeding at Portland 

 Island were true residents, for, if they had been long in New 

 Zealand, it is probable they would have acc[uired their summer 

 plumage in the breeding season. 



Ge )ius Och tJt odromus. 



Differs from Charadrius in not having a black abdomen in the 

 sunmier, and in the upper surface not being spotted. Widely 

 distributed ; not in Polynesia. 



