GOLDEN PLOVER. 
465 
Golden Plover. Penn. Brit. Zool. 2. 208. pi. 72. — Penn. Arct. 
Zoo/. 2. 399 . — fVill. Ang. 303. — Lath. Gen.Sj/n, 5. 193 . 1. — 
Lath. Syn. Sup. 252. — Mont. Orn. Diet. 2. — Mont. Orn. Diet. 
Sup. — Bew. Brit. Birds. \. 32p — Lew. Brit. Birds. 3 pi. ISl. 
Wale. Syn, 2. pi. 158 — Don. Brit. Birds. 2. pi. 45. — Pidt. 
Cat. Dors. \Q. — Wills. Ainer. Orn. 7-7^- pl' 
This elegant species is ten inches and a half in 
length : the top of the head, as well as the whole 
of the upper parts of the body, the wings, and the 
tail, are fine silky black, varied with large golden- 
yellow spots placed on the edges of the webs : the 
sides of the head, the neck, and the breast, are 
varietl with spots of grey, brown, and yellow : the 
throat and under parts of the body are white : the 
quills black, their shafts white towards the tip : 
beak dusky : feet deep grey : irides brown : female 
similar: the young during the first year have the 
upper parts dusky grey, spotted with greyish yel- 
low. Jn the breeding season both sexes appear 
black on the lower part of the breast ; these 
feathers begin to shew themselves in March, and 
are perfected in May, at which time the female 
begins to lay. 
The eggs are four in number, about the size 
and shape of those of the Lapwing, of a greyish 
olive, blotched with dusky : they are deposited 
amongst heath. The young run as soon as hatched, 
and follow the mother to the damp places in 
search of worms : at first they are clothed with 
down of a dusky colour, and are incapable of 
flying for a considerable time. The old birds are 
very tenacious of their offspring, and become very 
bold during this time. 
V. XI. p. n. 
31 
