242 GRALLATORES. CHARADRIUS. PLOVER. 



Food, they feed on small marine insects, worms, and Crustacea ; 

 and, when frequenting the edges of rivers and lakes, on 

 aquatic insects, both as larvae and in the perfect state. The 

 Ringed Plover is widely distributed over Europe, inhabiting 

 the northern parts as far as Iceland. In Holland it abounds; 

 also upon the coasts of France, Italy, &c. It is met with in 

 parts of Africa, and the species found in North America 

 seems to be in every respect similar. Its note is a rather 

 soft plaintive whistle, frequently repeated when on wing, or 

 when running on the shore. This bird appears to have been 

 often confounded by preceding authors with the Charadrius 

 minor of TEMMINCK, and also with the Charadrius Canti- 

 anus of LATHAM ; which latter ranks as a British species, 

 and is occasionally found upon the southern coast. The for- 

 mer has not yet been met with in Britain. The Ringed 

 Plover is subject to the double moult, but the change is on- 

 ly shewn by the greater intensity of the black, and the more 

 perfect purity of the white parts of the plumage. 



PLATE 38. Fig. 1. Represents the adult male in summer 



plumage. 



General Base of the upper mandible, space between it and the eyes, 

 lion 1 *" an d tne ear-coverts, black. Forehead white; behind 



which a band of black passes over the crown of the 

 plumage. nea< ^ ^ rom eve to eve * Over the eye a streak of white 



passes backwards towards the nape of the neck. Chin, 

 throat, and collar, white. Lower part of the neck, and 

 upper part of the breast, having a broad gorget of in- 

 tense black, passing backwards and forming a second 

 collar. Under parts pure white. Back part of the 

 head, nape of the neck, and the whole of the upper parts, 

 pale hair-brown, with a cinereous tinge. Quills deep 

 hair-brown, with the basal part of the outer webs of the 

 secondaries white. Greater wing-coverts having white 

 tips. Tail, with the two middle-feathers, hair-brown, 

 the rest having white tips, except the outer feather, 



