156 THE GAME BIEDS AND WILD FOWL 



south-east, is ardently longed for by the Barbadoes sportsmen towards the end of 

 August, as this forces the migratory hosts to alight instead of passing over at a 

 great height, as they are seen to do when the wind is from the north-east. The 

 first arrivals of this species are invariably black-breasted birds, showing that the 

 old birds precede the young, and the first comers are nearly all males. The 

 young birds without black on the breast appear about the 12th of September, and 

 continue to pass till the end of October ; sometimes stragglers are as late as 

 November." It is not known that the food of this species differs in any 

 important respect from that of the preceding species ; whilst the localities it 

 frequents are similar, and are inland as well as maritime. 



Nidification. The American Golden Plover reaches its nesting places on 

 the "barren grounds" of Arctic America at the end of May or early in 

 June. Its nesting habits very closely resemble those of the Asiatic species. 

 MacFarlane describes the nest as a mere hollow in the moss or lichen-clothed 

 ground, carelessly lined with a few scraps of herbage ; whilst Mr. Nelson says it 

 is a slight structure lined with dry grass and dead leaves of the dwarf willow. 

 The eggs are four in number ; although MacFarlane has recorded an instance in 

 which five were found. They so closely resemble those of the Asiatic species 

 that a detailed description of them is unnecessary. MacFarlane writes of the 

 breeding habits of this Plover as follows* : " This beautiful species is very 

 numerous in the barren grounds, from the outskirts of the forest to the shores 

 of the Polar Sea. The nests were precisely similar to those of C. squatarola. 

 They were also as difficult to detect, and for the same reason, a harmonizing 

 resemblance of the egg markings to the surrounding soil and a timeous departure 

 of the female bird from her nest. In a very few instances where she happened 

 to be surprised by a close approach, she would pretend lameness, and nutter 

 away from our very feet. On one occasion our party spent half an hour in a 

 close but fruitless search, during which the female resorted to various manoeuvres 

 to hide the nest ; but on our withdrawal to a short distance she at last revealed 

 it by settling down upon her eggs. I find one hundred and seventy nests 

 recorded among my notes. Except when there was reason to believe that the 

 full number had not been deposited, four eggs were always met with. In one 

 instance, however, there was as many as five, and in another but one, the 

 contents of which were found in a well-developed condition. Foxes also destroy 

 many eggs and young of this and other species during the season of nidification. 

 The frequently varying but sweetly clear and melodious notes of this Plover are 

 almost constantly heard whilst traversing their usual breeding grounds." One 

 brood only is reared in the year. 



Diagnostic characters. Charadrius, with the rectrices barred and the 

 axillaries smoke-grey. Length of wing, 6'8 to 7'5 inches. Total length, 9 to 10 



inches. * Proceedings U. S. Nat. Museum, xiv., pp. 429, 430 (1891). 



