KENTISH PLOVER. 107 



Collar white ; upper parts hair-brown. Outer tail-feathers 

 white ; others tipped with white ; under parts white. Bill black 

 at tip, yellow towards base. Stilt-like legs and feet orange. 

 Length 7| in. Female, less black gorget, and generally duller. 

 Young : dusky brown in place of black areas ; no black band 

 on forehead ; legs pale yellow. Nestling, covered with down, 

 mottled with fawn and brown. 



Language. A plaintive piping like "pooree." 



Habits. Sociable, even in breeding season. Runs with great 

 celerity over the pebbles of the shore. Flight swift. Not par- 

 ticularly timid, and when the nest is approached the parents 

 are most solicitous, and often feign injury. 



Food. Insects, worms, shrimps, sandhoppers, &c. 



Nest. May onwards. Two broods. 



Site. On the beach, not far above high-water mark. 



Materials. If any, a few grasses ; usually the slight cavity 

 is lined with small pebbles and broken shells. 



Eggs. Four. Pale stone-, clay-, or cream-colour, neatly 

 spotted with dark brown and grey ; pyriform shape, disposed in 

 cavity diagonally, i.e., with the small ends all pointing towards 

 the centre, like the other Plovers'. 



KENTISH PLOVER (^gialitis cantiana). 



Migrant; April to September. Very local, and nowhere 

 common ; found in the south and south-eastern counties, and 

 Channel Islands. Very rare in Ireland. 



Observation. Distinguish from Ringed Plover by rather 

 smaller size, paler appearance, and absence of black gorget. 



Plumage. Forehead, stripe over eye, chin, and under parts 

 wliite. Top of forehead, and band from base of bill through 

 eye and patch just below scapulars black. Back of head 

 brownish red ; upper parts ash-brown. Outer tail-feathers 

 white. Bill, legs, and feet black. Length 6| in. Female, no 

 black on forehead, and duller. Young, still duller, and more 

 or less mottled above. Nestling, much like the Ringed Plover. 



Language. A sharp whistle, not unlike the Ringed Plover's. 



Habits. Much like the Ringed Plover, but exclusively con- 

 fined to the seashore, whereas the Ringed Plover is found some- 

 times inland. 



Food. Similar to Ringed Plover. 



Nest. May. One brood. 



Site. On bare ground, among shingle, pebbles, &c. 



Materials. None. 



Eggs. Three or four. Stone- or drab-colour, spotted and 

 scrawled with black and grey ; smaller than Ringed Plover's ; 

 much like Little Tern's, but pyriform shape. 



