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Birds. 



THE GEEY PLOVEE, (Squatarola cinerea,) 



Is about twelve inches long and twenty-four across the 

 wings : the head, back, and coverts of the wings are 

 black, with tips of a greenish white ; the chin white ; 

 the throat spotted with brown or dusky spots ; the breast 

 and thighs white. The flavour of the flesh, when the 

 bird is caught in the proper season, is delicate and 

 savory ; at other times it is hard, and has a strong and 

 rank taste. This bird is generally found in small packs, 

 and is not nearly so common as the beautiful Golden 

 Plover. The male becomes entirely black on the lower 

 surface in the spring, or black interspersed with patches 

 and spots of white. 



The Grey Plover is found in the northern parts 

 of Europe, and, it is said, breeds in Egypt, Java, and 

 Japan. Like the Buff, it is an exceedingly quarrelsome 

 bird, and fights fiercely in the spring. The young, 

 when hatched, are covered with a thick, soft down, and 

 immediately begin to follow their parents about and 

 search for food. 



