THE GOLDEN PLOVER. 561 



and now throwing up their under parts, the cloud-like figure 

 of the mass changing form every few moments. With what 

 a dashing swiftness they perform their flight, and how per- 

 fectly each one keeps his place throughout all the changes, 

 all performing precisely the same movement at the same 

 instant, as if one spirit animated and guided them all! 

 Which one is the leader of these swift forces ? How do 

 they all manage to keep so on the alert for every signal ? 

 Ah ! we only see the birds at a distance, after all, and know 

 but little of what makes up their inner life ! As they near 

 me in one of their gyrations, I give them the contents of 

 both barrels of my shot-gun, bringing down enough for 

 my purposes. The flock disappears, but for a long time 

 their peculiar whistling notes linger in my ears. 



Nearly 11 inches long, and nearly 22 in extent, the present 

 color of this bird is a sort of compromise between its beau- 

 tiful summer habit and its plainer winter dress. The color 

 of spring is brownish-black on the upper parts generally, 

 each feather being elegantly spotted about the edge with 

 bright yellow " old gold," if you please, and hence its 

 common name ; the wing-coverts are marked with white, 

 and the dusky tail is barred with the same; primaries of a 

 fine brown; upper part of the forehead, space in front of 

 and line over the eye, dull white; sides of the neck and of 

 the body the same, spotted with brown and yellowish- white; 

 breast and line in front of the neck, brownish-black, the 

 latter margined on both sides with clear white. In the 

 winter habit, the upper parts are similar, but less bright and 

 distinct, while the under parts become light-gray, streaked 

 with darker. 



A noted bird throughout the northern hemisphere is the 

 Golden Plover, the species or varieties of the Old World 

 being very closely allied to our own. Spending the winter, 

 36 



