76 FEATHERED GAME 



the right, now veering to the left, now the jet 

 black breasts, now the gray backs and the white 

 spots on the rumps and tail coverts showing 

 like foamy fleckings from the breakers over 

 which they skim. To my mind this is the prince 

 of all the plover tribe — the worthiest member 

 of a noble family. 



Probably the Beetlehead is the fleetest of 

 wing among the bay birds, the '^golden" being 

 the only one having the right to challenge his 

 title. 



Many gunners confuse this bird with the 

 golden plover, and indeed the two are much 

 alike, yet in addition to the Beetlehead 's greater 

 size there is one marked difference on which the 

 species is founded and which makes the Beetle- 

 head unmistakable in any plumage — ^lie has a 

 hind toe, small and rudimentary, 'tis true, but 

 plainly showing in every one of the species. 

 The ''golden," as is the case of all our other 

 true plovers, lacks this. For his other mark- 

 ings, in his full dress uniform — (we all want 

 our pictures taken in our wedding clothes, and 

 so, it is likely, does our beautiful visitor) — 

 above the Beetlehead is colored with a mixture 

 of black, dusky gray and white, the darker 



