PLOVER. GRALLATORES. CHARADRIUS. 235 



I have, upon dissection, found in their stomachs and gullet 

 during the summer season. It runs very fast, and when 

 wounded is difficult to be caught without the aid of a dog. 

 Upon the continent these birds are abundant during the time 

 of their migrations, as in Holland, parts of France, Germany, 

 &c. In Sardinia they winter in immense flocks, as well as 

 in other countries of the south of Europe, retiring in the 

 summer to high northern latitudes of Asia and Europe to 

 breed. 



PLATE 37. Shows the Golden Plover of the natural size, in 



both the winter and summer plumage. 



Crown of the head, hind part of the neck, back, wing-coverts, General 

 and scapulars, brownish- black, or very deep hair-brown, tion. 

 each feather having triangular marginal spots, and the "^|j||SL 

 tip of kingVyellow. Tail deep hair -brown, with ob- 

 lique bars of pale king's yellow. Quills hair-brown, 

 with the anterior part of the shafts of the first five white. 

 Forehead, cheeks, and eye-streak yellowish-white, streak- 

 ed and spotted with pale hair-brown and grey. Chin 

 and throat white. Fore part of the neck, breast, sides, 

 and flanks ash-grey, tinged in parts with king's yellow, 

 and spotted and streaked with darker grey. Belly, ab- 

 domen, and under tail-coverts, white. Long axillary 

 feathers beneath the wings pure white. Legs and toes 

 deep grey. 



During the breeding season the cheeks, chin, throat, auricu- Summer 

 lars, fore part of the neck, list down the centre of the * 

 breast, belly, and abdomen are of an intense black. Fore- 

 head, eye-streak, and the marginal line bordering the 

 black upon the neck and breast, pure white. Sides of 

 the breast marbled with kingVyellow and black. Sides 

 and flanks white, marbled with pale hair- brown and 

 yellow. Under tail-coverts white, the lateral ones being 

 tinged with yellow and obliquely barred with hair- 

 brown. Upper parts of the body having the black more 



