244 REMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN. 



The GrOLDEN Plover. 



" If foot of strangers riistle through 

 The heather on the moor's dark breast, 

 Then cunning art's perfection view — 

 The Plover leaves her lowly nest, 

 And by deserting tries to save 

 The nurslings to which life she gave." — J. P. 



" Hence around the head 

 Of wand'ring swain the white wing'd wheels 

 Her sounding flight, and then directly on, 

 In long excursion skims the level lawn 

 To tempt him from her nest." — Thomson's Sowing. 



The golden plover is about the size of the turtle 

 dove, its weight nine ounces, length eleven inches, 

 breadth twenty-four inches with wings extended. The 

 bill is short and black ; the feathers on the head, back, 

 and wing coverts are dusky, beautifully spotted on each 

 side with light yellow green, round the eyes and chin 

 almost white ; sides of the head, the neck and sides of 

 the body, the same as the upper parts, but much paler ; 

 the breast brown, marked with greenish oblong strokes ; 

 the middle feathers of the tail barred with black and 

 yellowish green ; the greater quills are dusky, legs black, 

 and it wants the back toe, by which it is distinguished 

 from other birds of this species. There is some change 

 seen in the colour of the plumage of the belly early in 



