126 A. L. V. Manniche. 



I met with nesting Ringed Plovers everywhere, even on places 

 so desolate, that no other bird would try to exist there. 



The surroundings of the ship's-harbour offered excellent loca- 

 lities for this species and here I found it most numerous; at least 

 100 couples nested here in the summer of 1908. 



I also found it frequently nesting in the 60 km. long district 

 between Stormkap and Mørkefjord and on Koldewey-Islands and 

 certainly of more common occurrence than anywhere in Denmark. 



The Ringed Plover arrived on the same day as the other wa- 

 ders. Gradually as the snow melted this species resorted to sandy 

 spots without any vegetation, which are scattered around in the 

 country; but also on low irrigated slopes and along fresh water 

 beaches this bird occurred frequently. 



The pairing took place a little later than with other waders. 

 On the before mentioned sterile "sand-islets" I found the majority 

 of nests observed; but the Ringed Plover in Greenland is however 

 not more consistent in its choice of a nesting place, than it is else- 

 where. 



Nests were found as well near the coast as far from it and 

 even rather high up the rocks. 



Eggs were found within the time from June 17''^ to July 18**^; 

 the number in a clutch was always four, and they can not be di- 

 stinguished from European eggs of Ringed Plovers. 



The old birds leave the country in pairs as soon as their young 

 ones are grown up, as a rule in the first week of August; these will 

 then immediately go to the shore and mouth of rivers and join the 

 company of other young waders especially Sanderlings and Turn- 

 stones. In the first week of September they depart, some of them 

 a few days earlier; September 9'^^ I observed the last. 



The old and the downy plovers principally eat insects and 

 their larvæ and pupæ. 



I have however also found remnants of plants in the stomachs 

 of old birds shot at few days after their arrival. The young birds 

 feed principally on crustaceans and worms, which animals espe- 

 cially in August are abundant on the sandy shores of bays and 

 firths. 



The Ringed Plovers from N. E. Greenland are — according to 

 my experience — in no way distinguishable from European ones. 



For the zoological museum in Copenhagen were collected the 

 skins of 3 old birds and in spirit 2 old and 3 young birds and 3 

 downy young ones; also 12 eggs. (3 clutches.) 



The following measurements have been taken: 



