9284 Birds. 
tinged with yellow, which fades, however, and becomes black after 
the bird has been dead a few hours. Many authors say “ the bill is 
wholly black,” but they probably described from specimens which 
had been some time preserved, and consequently had lost colour; and 
on this account, no doubt, they have also overlooked a peculiarity 
which at once attracted my attention. The eye, which is full and 
dark, almost black, is surrounded by a circle of a beautiful bright 
yellow, and looks as if it were set in gold, but this colour entirely 
disappears soon after death. 
At the time it reminded me a good deal of the eye of the Norfolk 
plover on a small scale. 
I have now had an opportunity, for the first time, of ascertaining 
that the little ringed plover differs also considerably from the common 
ringed plover in many other respects, as follows :— 
The shaft of the first quill-feather only, in the wing, is white; and 
the white spots, which are always present on the webs of the wing- 
feathers in the common species, and which give the appearance of a 
white bar across the wing in flight, are in the little ringed plover 
absent, and in lieu thereof the tips only of the wing-feathers are mar- 
gined with dull white. In the last-named species, also, there is a 
dusky spot on the inner web of the outer tail-feather on each side, 
which feather in the common ringed plover is always pure white. 
The number of tail-feathers, however, is the same. 
Belore skinning my specimen I took it to Mr. Gould, together with 
a common ringed’ plover, which I had killed the same day shortly 
afterwards, and which was useful for comparison. Mr. Gould then 
carefully ascertained the exact measurements and weight of each, 
which are as follows :— 
Common Ringed Plover. Little Ringed Plover, 
Weight - - ih SNe Diz 24 or: 1} 02. 65 grs. 
Total length . . 3 4 74 inches. 63 inches. 
4 be Wes ps . : . 4 3 27 inches, 2% inches, 
Extent of wings . . ; 15 inches. 13 inches. © 
o 1 b . ° 
pene eye ines baat ae. res 4} inches 
Tarsus ; - R J 1 inch (full), 1 inch. 
I subsequently dissected the birds, and believe the common ringed 
plover to be an adult female in the autumn dress, and the little ringed 
plover an immature male of the year. The difference, therefore, be- 
tween their respective weights is probably greater than it would have 
been had both birds been adult. The measurements | think would 
