THE BIRD-LIFE OF LONDON 
herbage and leaves. ‘The eggs, laid in May, are four in 
number, pyriform in shape, and buff in ground colour, 
handsomely blotched and spotted with blackish brown, 
purplish brown, and grey. A return to the lowlands 
commences as soon as the young are strong on the wing. 
In winter plumage, the dress in which the Golden 
Plover generally appears in the London area, the upper 
parts are black spotted with yellow, and the under parts 
are white, marked on the breast and flanks with dusky 
brown. In summer the under parts are black. Bill 
black ; tarsi and toes brownish black; irides brown. 
Length 1oinches. ‘The female closely resembles the male 
in general colour, but is more marked with dusky brown 
on the under parts in winter, and the black of the under 
parts is mixed with white in summer. The young in 
first plumage closely resemble the parents in winter dress. 
I may here mention that the Grey PLover (Squatarola 
helvetica) has been obtained at Forest Gate in 1871. It 
may always be distinguished from the preceding bird, 
which it resembles somewhat, especially in size, by its 
minute hind toe, which is lacking in the Golden Plover 
and its allies. 
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