THE GOLDEN PLOVER. 87 



The shores and moors are everywhere crowded with thern j* and 

 within a hundred yards of the lodge, Henessey, with two barrels, 

 killed seven couple and a half last evening. The bent- banks are 

 their favourite fixture ; and I have never crossed them of late 

 without finding at least one stand. I have seen three hundred 

 of these birds thus congregated." 



The same author continues : — " There is, in shooting plover, a 

 common remark made by sportsmen, that the second is always the 

 most productive barrel. The rapidity with which they vary their 

 position when on the ground seldom admits of a grand combina- 

 tion for a sitting, or rather a running, shot. But when on the 

 wing their mode of flight is most favourable for permitting the 

 shot to tell ; and it is by no means unusual to bring down a 

 ] lumber. When disturbed they frequently wheel back directly 

 above the fowler, and offer a tempting mark, if he should have a 

 barrel in reserve ; and even when too high for the shot to take 

 effect I have often thrown away a random fire ; for the plover, on 

 hearing the report, directly make a sweep downwards on the wing, 

 and I have by this means brought them within range of the second 

 barrel."— (p. 292, edit. 1843.) 



This singular habit the golden plover shares with others of its 



* The mention of large flocks upon the moors renders it evident that the Golden 

 and not the " Gray " plover is meant : the latter species is a shore bird, and, besides, 

 does not appear in flocks such as those described. It is surprising that intelligent 

 men will not make themselves acquainted with the correct names of the birds on 

 which they so pleasantly descant. For a long period we have had three species of 

 plover distinguished as Green (Lapwing), Golden, and Grey, each deriving the name 

 from its actual colour, yet are they commonly confounded together. In the ' British 

 Naturalist' (vol. ii. p. 266) the Golden is treated of at length under the name of Green 

 plover ; and at p. 271, the following remarks appear : — " There are few birds of 

 which the ignonegenes are more perplexing than the plover ; it is in fact almost the 

 British chameleon. One sees it in one light, and it is 'green;' a second takes a 

 greater fancy to the yellow spots, and it is 'golden;' a third comes upon it iu the 

 winter ; the green and the gold have both faded, and, lo ! it is ',grey.' " Here we 

 have three distinct species, ranked by some systematic authors uuder as many genera, 

 confounded together by the British Naturalist ! 



When the golden plover, either from youth or seasonable change of plumage, does 

 not exhibit its golden drops, the unaltered characters of structure have only to be 

 looked to ; the absence of the hind toe, and the comparatively small and delicate bill 

 at once distinguish it from the grey plover. The white appearance of the upper tail 

 coverts of the latter species, as seen when the bird flies, distinguishes it from the 

 golden plover. Shooter3 recognize it by this character alone, when its distinctive 

 call-note is not uttered. Close examination, however, shows that these coverts are 

 not wholly white. 



