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pair and resort to the heaths, where they breed. 

 At this season they are abundant in most of 

 the hilly parts of Scotland, and in the Hebrides. 

 They select for their nest a slight hollow in a dry 

 place, among the heath or moss, irregularly strewed 

 with fragments of withered plants. The eggs, four 

 in number, are very large, of a pale greenish yellow 

 or cream colour, irregularly spotted and patched 

 with dark brown. When the young are able to 

 fly, the Plovers collect into flocks, but remain in 

 the heaths and hill pastures until the commence- 

 ment of winter. During continued frosts they 

 search for their food on the sands and rocky shores 

 of the sea at low water. Great numbers are 

 killed, their flesh affording delicate eating, not 

 much inferior to that of the Woodcock. 



PLOVEE, GREY. 



VANELLUS MELANOGASTER, Temm. 



The Grey Plover, which is plentiful in some 

 parts of North America, and pretty generally 

 distributed over the temperate countries of the 

 continent of Europe, is more abundant in France 

 than in Germany, and is rare in Switzerland. It 

 seems to be with us merely an annual visitant, 

 appearing in small flocks, chiefly in autumn and 

 spring. It is found along the coasts, where it fre- 



