BIRDS MET WITH BY THE WILDFOWLER 333 



species, which they closely resemble, by being smaller and in 

 having the axillaries smoke-grey instead of white. Length 

 about 9 in. ; wing 6*75 in. 



GREY PLOVER 



Charadrius helveticus {Brisson) 

 In general appearance this bird resembles the Golden 

 Plover, but white takes the place of the yellow spots, and the 

 hind toe is lacking. He is a common spring and autumn 

 migrant to the British Isles ; he passes the winter in the warm 

 tropics of Africa, wandering southwards as far as the Cape, 

 and then, obeying some mysterious impulse of which we can 

 form no conception, he journeys in May northwards, and pass- 

 ing over many spots which would to our ignorant eyes afford 

 him food and shelter sufficient for the rearing of his young, 

 he seeks out the wild and lonely tundras of Europe and Siberia. 

 There during the eternal day of an Arctic summer he rears 

 his family, and as soon as they can fly, old and young are back 

 again on our shores. For some weeks they remain, slowly 

 passing to the south, and, unlike the Golden Plover, rarely 

 coming inland ; but by the middle of October they are all back 

 enjoying once more the burning sun of the tropics. 



The white tail-coverts and absence of the hind toe, as well as 

 the black axillaries, will prevent any confusion between this 

 species and the Golden Plover. Length 11*5 in. ; wing 775 in. 



AVOCET 



Recurvirostra avocetta {Linneeus) 

 The Avocet is a rare spring and autumn migrant to the 

 British Isles, and inhabits the southern Palaearctic region and 

 Ethiopian region. The adult has the cheeks and neck and rest 

 of plumage white, with the exception of the head, nape, most 

 part of hind neck, outer scapulars, middle wing-coverts, and 

 primaries, which are black ; irides chestnut - brown ; bill 



