Class II. GOLDEN PLOVER. 99 



green ; the breast brown, marked with greenish 

 oblong strokes ; the belly white ; the middle 

 feathers of the tail barred with black and yel- 

 lowish green ; the rest with black and brown ; 

 the legs black. We have observed some variety 

 in these birds, but cannot determine whether it 

 is owing to age or sex : we have seen some 

 with black bellies, others with a mixture of 

 black and white ; others with bluish legs, and 

 some with a small claw in the place of the 

 hind toe. 



They lay four eggs, sharply pointed at the 

 lesser end, of a dirty white color, and irregu- 

 larly marked, especially at the thicker end, with 

 black blotches and spots. They breed on 

 several of our unfrequented mountains ; and 

 are very common on those of the isle of Riim^ 

 and others of the loftier Hehridea. They make 

 a shrill whistling noise; and may be enticed 

 within shot by a skilful imitator of the note. 



This species, on account of its spots, has 

 been supposed to have been the Pardalis of 

 Aristotle : but his account of the bird makes 

 no mention of that distinction : perhaps he 

 thought that the name implied it. The Ro- 

 mans seem to have been unacquainted with the 

 plover : for the name never once occurs in any 

 of their writings. We derive it from the French 



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