462 CLASS AVES. 



bird under the denomination of pardalis, though it may be 

 the golden plover which that author has in view. Squata- 

 rola is the Venetian name of the bird. 



The grey sandpiper, or grey plover, as it is more commonly 

 called in England, inhabits all Europe, a portion of Asia, and 

 a considerable part of North America. Its habitual sojourn 

 is the sea-shore near the mouths of rivers, and the miry bor- 

 ders of salt lakes and marshes. It is a bird of passage in all 

 the temperate parts of Europe. It lives on earth-worms, 

 small mollusca, and insects. It nestles in the North, where 

 the female lays four eggs, of a very clear olive-colour, spotted 

 with black. 



Of the Lapwings proper we have but one species in 

 Europe. The Lapwing Sandpiper, of Latham, Tringa 

 Vanelliis of Linnaeus, and Vanellus Cristatus of Meyer and 

 Temminck. It is one of the most remarkable birds of our 

 countries, both by its plumage, and the elegant crest, which, 

 arising from the occiput, falls gracefully over its back, being 

 a little raised towards the extremity. 



The plumage of this lapwing varies with age ; the young 

 have the tvift not so long as the adult. The black tints of 

 the throat and chest are less deep in the female. 



The name lapwing is obviously derived from the noise 

 made by this bird in flying. The French name, vanneau^ is 

 still more expressive of this noise, which resembles the soun(? 

 of a fan or van, used in winnowing corn. From this also 

 comes the Latin, vanellus. The Greeks called this bird oex^ 

 or cega, in reference to its cry ; but they also named it Taa)\- 

 cLy^ioq, or wild jjeacock, a designation partly preserved by the 

 Italians, who, at the present day, apply to it the diminutive, 

 paonzello or pavonxino. 



The lapwing, in rising from the ground, and taking its 

 flight, utters a little cry, which may be well expressed by the 

 French word div-huit, and whicli has occasioned the bird to 



