THE GREY PLOVEE. 



391 



plumage in May. The occurrence of the bird, however, 

 in this condition, in England, is exceptional; while in 

 the northern regions, both of the Old and New World, it 

 must be unusual to see an adult bird in any other than 

 the sable plumage of summer. 



The Grey Plover is a bird of extensive geographical 

 range, being known in Japan, India, New Guinea, the 

 Cape of Good Hope, Egypt, the continent of Europe, and 



THE GREY PLOVER. 



North America. In this country, as I have observed, it 

 occurs from autumn to spring, frequenting the sea-shore, 

 and picking up worms and other animal productions cast 

 up by the sea. Grey Plovers are less abundant than 

 Golden Plovers ; yet, in severe seasons, they assemble in 

 numerous small flocks on the shores of the Eastern 

 counties, and, as Meyer well observes,* they are disposed 

 to be " sociable, not only towards their own species, but to 

 * Illustrations of British Birds and their Eggs, vol. v. p. 162. 



