PLOVERS AND LAPWINGS 135 



PLOVERS AND LAPWINGS. 



Only a few members of the Family Charadriidce can, 

 with justice, be termed " ornaments of the veld," the 

 greater number being water-loving birds which will be 

 found described in another chapter. 



The Blacksmith Plover (Hoplopterus armatus) has 

 the fore part of the head, base of neck, sides of body, 

 abdomen, upper and under tail-coverts white ; wings 

 grey ; rest of plumage black. 



It ranges from the Central Cape Colony to the 

 Zambesi. It is seldom found far from water, frequent- 

 ing the neighbourhood of swamps and vleis. In the 

 Orange River Colony it is not uncommon near the dams 

 and vleis, where its peculiar metallic call (from -which 

 its trivial name is derived) may often be heard during 

 the day or on moonlight nights. 



It lays two to four eggs of a pale yellowish colour, 

 thickly speckled with black. 



The Blacksmith Plover feeds on worms, insects, snails 

 and similar animal matter, thus being of practical benefit 

 to the farmer. 



The Crowned Lapwing (Stephanibyx coronatus), called 

 by the Boers the Kivietji, is too well known to require 

 much of a description. Its black head adorned with a 

 white V-shaped mark, long red legs and pale drabish- 

 brown back will serve to distinguish it from the other 

 plovers. 



It is distributed throughout South Africa, except the 

 Natal littoral. It is an exceedingly common bird on 

 the flats of the Orange River Colony, where it usually 

 congregates into flocks of varying number. It affords 

 good sport when hunted with a dog, circling in the 

 air above the canine, and giving vent to loud plain- 



