SQUATAROLA HELVETICA. 207 



eels, by laying night-lines or hooks baited with a worm in their 

 feeding-places : this is a most cruel method of procuring them, 

 as the unfortunate birds linger in agony for hours, often being 

 left till they flutter themselves to death. 



Male in spring. Above blackish, spotted with yellow; chin, throat, breast, 

 and belly black. 



Female. Less black below, being mottled with white feathers. 



In winter. Below white, chest and flanks marked with brown. Axilluries 

 white. Lenoih 9 inches. 



o 



287. Charadrius fulvus, J. F. Gmelin. Asiatic Golden Plover. 



A specimen of this Eastern Golden Plover was killed near 

 Malaga in 1878, and is in Lord Lilford's collection. 

 Axillaries smoky grey; otherwise as last, but slightly smaller. 



288. Squatarola helvetica (Liunseus). The Grey Plover. 



Spanish. Redolin. 



Favier only remarks that " this Plover is found near Tangier 

 between the months of December and March." 



The Grey Plover appears chiefly to arrive near Gibraltar during 

 the middle of November, and, though frequently seen in autumn 

 and spring, cannot be said to be at any time abundant. I have 

 noticed them on the small plash of water which after heavy rains 

 is formed on the western part of the Neutral ground. 



On the 22nd of May, 1869, I killed a pair at one shot near 

 the mouth of the Guadiaro, the male being in almost perfect 

 summer plumage, the female not being so far advanced, and the 

 eggs in her ovaries very slightly developed. It is very remarkable 

 that this northern-breeding bird should linger so late in such a 

 sunny southern country ; and the day above mentioned was very 

 hot for the time of the year. But the Grey Plover is not singular 

 in thus remaining south so late ; both the Knot and the Curie \v 

 Sandpiper loiter equally late into the spring. 



The marks by which this species is to be distinguished from 

 the Golden Plover are the presence of a very small hind toe and 



