THE PLOVER. 351. 



of Great Egg-Harbor ; but about the beginning or middle of 

 October they had become much darker above, and their 

 plumage otherwise varied. They were then collected in 

 flocks ; their former theatrical and deceptive manoeuvres 

 seemed all forgotten. They appeared more active than be- 

 fore, as well as more silent ; alighting within a short distance 

 of one, and feeding about without the least appearance of 

 suspicion. At the commencement of winter they all go off 

 towards the south. 



This variety of the Ringed Plover is seven inches long, and 

 fourteen in extent ; the bill is reddish yellow for half its 

 length, and black at the extremity ; the front and whole 

 lower parts pure white, except the side of the breast, which is 

 marked with a curving streak of black, another spot of black 

 bounding the front above, back and upper parts very pale 

 brown, inclining to ashy white, and intermixed with white ; 

 wings pale brown, greater coverts broadly tipt with white ; 

 interior edges of the secondaries, and outer edges of the pri- 

 maries white, and tipt with brown : tail nearly even, the lower 

 half white, brown towards the extremity, the outer feather 

 pure white, the next white with a single spot of black ; eye 

 black, and full, surrounded by a narrow ring of yellow ; legs 

 reddish yellow ; claws black ; lower side of the wings pure 

 white. 



The present species, or true Ring Plover, and also the for- 

 mer, or light colored bird, both arrive on the seacoast of New 

 Jersey late in April. The present kind continues to be seen 

 in flocks until late in May, when they disappear on their 

 way farther north ; the light-colored bird remains during the 

 summer, forms its nest in the sand, and generally produces 

 two broods in the season. Early in September the present 

 species return in flocks as before ; soon after this, the light- 

 colored kind go off to the south, but the other remain a full 

 month later. European writers inform us, that the Ring 

 Plover has a sharp twittering note, and this account agrees ex- 

 actly with that of the present ; the light colored species, on the 

 contrary, has a peculiar soft and musical tone, similar to the 



