THE PLOVEK OF THE PLAINS. Ill 



We had two species of plover common with us through- 

 out the year, — the Spur-toing Plover, which is analogous 

 to the Jacana of South America, on the low swampy 

 grounds, and the Plover of the Plains, on the open stony 

 plains and high dry rises. The spur- wing is a fine bold- 

 looking bird, considerably larger than the British lapwing, 

 congregates in flocks, and is always to be found on wet 

 ground. It is a curious and handsome bird in appear- 

 ance ; the body quaker-brown, the breast white, the head 

 and points deep black. It has a large bright-yellow cere 

 or flap over the eye (which is also bright-yellow), cheeks, 

 and forehead, and a large sharp spur, like a cock's spur, 

 on the elbow-joint of each wing, which I fancy must be 

 used by the birds for some other purpose than that of 

 mere defence. The spur lengthens with the age of the 

 bird : I have seen them, in an old male, nearly an inch 

 long. They are a very shy, wary bird, diiEcult to get up 

 to, have a loud shrill call ; and many a shot at ducks have 

 I lost when, creeping up to a mole on the swamp, I have 

 chanced to disturb a spur-wing plover. 



The Plover of the Plains is about one-third less than 

 the spur-wing, congregates in large flocks, and is, I 

 think, altogether a commoner bird in its peculiar locali- 

 ties. It is something like the spur-wing in general 

 appearance, but the colours are not so well marked ; the 

 colour of the body being shiny brown, the belly white, 

 and it has no spur on the wing. Moreover, it has no 

 flap over the cheek, but merely a red wart, or lobe over 

 each eye. The plover of the plains frequents the most 



