34 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. 



that peculiar movement to the tail feathers for which this species 

 is noted. The flight of the Spotted Tatler is very uneven, 

 seldom being seen flying in a straight line to any distance, and 

 usually performs its aerial gambols at a short distance above the 

 surface. When w^ounded in the wing, it takes to the brook, 

 and swims under water with considerable swiftness. In pairs, 

 or small parties, it takes possession of the muddy margins of 

 all our water courses, from which it makes excursions to the 

 adjoining fields, sometimes alighting on the fence-rails, &c. 



" Being exclusive in its habits, it never courts the society of 

 other species, though it is not unfrequent that we see the intru- 

 sive Semipalmated Sandpiper sharing with it the produce of its 

 feeding grounds." 



PLOVERS. 



No. 1. Black-Bellied Plover — Vu^ go, Bull- Headed Plover. 

 Charadrius Helveticus ; Linn. 



Black-bellied Plover, Charadrius helveticus, Wils. Amer. Om. Charadrius 

 helveticus, Bonup. Syn. Gray Lapwing, Vanellus melanogaster, Svv. & 

 Rich. Black-bellied or Swiss Plover, Nutt. Man. Black-bellied Plover, 

 Charadrius helveticus, Aud. Orn. Biog. 



•' Specific Cliaracter. — Bill stout, along the gap one inch and 

 five-sixteenths, length of tarsi one inch and five-eighths. Adult 

 male with the bill black, strong, shorter than the head ; cheeks, 

 loral space, throat, fore-neck, breast, with a large portion of the 

 abdomen black ; hind part of the abdomen and flanks white ; 

 forehead, with a broad band passing down the sides of the neck 

 and breast, white ; crown, occiput, and hind-neck grayish-white, 

 spotted with dusky ; upper parts blackish-brown, the feathers 

 broadly tipped with white ; eye encircled with white ; tail and 

 upper tail coverts white, barred with black — the former tipped 

 with white ; lower tail coverts white, the outer feathers spotted 

 with black ; primaries and their coverts blackish-brown, the 



