THE RINGED PLOVER. 20 1 



The general dimensions are length 7 inches, culmen 07 

 inches, wings 5*1 inches, tail 2*3 inches, tarsus 1*05 inches. 



(b) Adult Female. Mr. Bowdler Sharpe says (Vol. III., p, 159). 

 Not distinguishable from the male. Total length 77 inches, 

 culmen 6*5 inches, wings 5*1 inches, tail 2*25 inches, tarsus 

 i inch. We are not prepared to say that we can correctly sex any 

 bird put in our hands, but we demur to the above statement. It 

 is possible at any rate to distinguish the female from the male 

 during the breeding season as her colour is less pronounced, and 

 at a short distance she is decidedly an ashier grey-brown than the 

 male. The fawn coloured back of the male is of a warmer tint. 

 Mr. Henry Seebohm states " The female is not quite so brilliant 

 in colour as the male. After the autumn moult very little change 

 is perceptible, except that the male is scarcely more brilliant in 

 colour than the female." This statement entirely coincides with 

 the result of our observations. (Confer Dresser, Vol. III., 

 p. 498.) 



(c) Immature. The immature birds are paler than the adults, 

 and have the feathers on the upper surface margined with ashy 

 buff. The ear coverts are brownish black. No black band is 

 present on the forepart of the crown. The band of the fore 

 neck is brown, tinged with buff in the middle, the sides of the 

 collar blackish. The white forehead and eyebrow are tinged 

 with brown. (Plate VII.) 



(d) Nestling in Down. The upper parts sandy brown mottled 

 with stone colour and dark brown. There is a bluish grey stripe 

 on the back and head. The lower parts being much paler, 

 almost white. The eye stripe is present, and is a darker brown 

 than the remainder of the bird ; it commences at the bill and 

 extends right round the nape, where it widens out. The colour- 

 ing renders the nestling practically invisible amongst the shingle 

 and debris of a beach. The bill is brown and the feet and legs 

 are pink. 



NOTE. The Ringed Plover differs much in size. This is discussed at page 212 ; 

 but the two forms will be mentioned as the larger form and the smaller form 

 before the matter is discussed. 



