LESSEE GOLDEN PLOVEK 229 



AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 



TOTAL LENGTH . . ... ... 11 in. 



WING ... 7'5 



BEAK ... ... ... 1 ,, 



TARSO-METATARSUS ... ... 1*6 ' ,, 



EGG 2 X 1'4 in. 



LESSER GOLDEN PLOYER. Charadrius dominicus 

 (P. L. S. Miiller). 



Coloured Figures. Dresser, ' Birds of Europe,' vol. vii, pis. 

 516, 517. 



There are two varieties of this Plover, an Eastern or 

 Asiatic, and a Western or American. The latter is the 

 larger and the Jess brilliant in colour. 



The Lesser Golden Plover is a very rare visitor to the 

 British Isles, its occurrences being as follows : 



(A] Asiatic. 



One found in December, 1874, in Leadenhall Market 1 

 among a lot of Golden Plovers supposed to have come from 

 Norfolk. Another obtained in the flesh from Stennis in 

 Orkney on November 26th, 1887 (Millais, ' The Field,' 

 December 10th, 1887). 



(B) American. 



One obtained in Leadenhall Market in autumn, 1882 

 (J. H. Gurney). Another recorded from Perthshire, August 

 3rd, 1883 (J. G. Millais, ' Zoologist,' 1886, p. 26). 



A third obtained in the Dublin Markets on September 

 12tb, 1894, among a lot of Golden Plovers which had 

 been sent direct from Belmullet, co. Mayo (E. Williams, 

 ' Zoologist,' 1894, p. 428, also ' Irish Naturalist,' vol. iii, 

 p. 224.) 



1 From the above data it may be seen that the majority of birds 

 have been secured in game-dealers' shops, periodical visits to which will 

 sooner or later reward the ornithologist. The late Mr. E. Williams of 

 Dublin has repeatedly picked up rarities in this way. 



